Many organisations publish informative reports full of facts and figures, many covering aspects of transport provision which might not be immediately obvious. We’ve put links to some of them here. We hope you find them useful.
The Value of the Bus to Society (Greener Journeys, October 2016)
From the introduction to the report:
“We know that policy is not about economic value alone. Because life isn’t just about the pound in your pocket, or savings to the Exchequer. And policy should not just be made on economic arguments alone, however strong they may be.
Policy must deliver on a range of social factors as well. Does it reduce inequality, and support deprived communities? Does it impact positively on healthcare, education and access to a range of public services? Does it improve people’s life chances? For the first time, we now truly understand the social impacts of the bus, thanks to a new research from KPMG LLP and the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds. And this provides very clear evidence of a very strong social case for the bus.
Which means that a policy supporting bus investment is not just a transport policy. It is a health policy, an education policy, a skills policy, an economic policy, a wellbeing policy, and a social cohesion policy.
As the new Government looks to improve the life chances of everyone, and create a truly inclusive economy and society, this timely research demonstrates the significant social value of the bus. We hope it is a useful contribution to the policy debate.”
Read the full report here: The Value of the Bus to Society
Health matters: getting every adult active every day (Public Health England, July 2016)
Lack of physical activity costs the UK an estimated £7.4bn a year.
From the report:
“Switching more journeys to active travel will improve health, quality of life and the environment, and local economy, while at the same time reducing costs to the public purse.
Pedestrians, cyclists, and users of other modes of transport that involve physical activity need the highest priority when developing or maintaining streets and roads.
This can mean:
- re-allocation of road space to support walking and cycling
- restricting motor vehicle access
- introducing road-user charging and traffic-calming schemes
- creating safe routes to schools”
There’s video and a blog about the report on the Public Health England site here: Health matters: getting every adult active every day