Mayoral candidates urged to accelerate rollout of shared transport

The call is being made by national shared transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK) in its manifesto ahead of the election on May 2.

Shared transport includes car clubs, bike share schemes, e-scooters, car sharing and on-demand bus services, which cut congestion, improve air quality and make people more active.

The manifesto says all candidates should commit to actively promote shared transport as an alternative to car ownership, as well as making nine other recommendations.

These include a pilot programme allowing GPs to prescribe cycling to patients by giving them access to bike share schemes and offering transport credits to people who give up their cars.

At the heart of the manifesto is a call for an action plan ensuring that a comprehensive range of shared transport is available across the North East.

The manifesto contains a series of recommendations including the creation of network of ‘mobility hubs’, which would allow people to switch easily between public and shared transport.

Another policy is for the introduction of incentives for drivers to give up their cars, as part of efforts to reduce congestion and pollution.

A ‘mobility credits scheme’ would allow people to scrap their cars in return for credit that could be redeemed on public transport or in the form of car club or bike share membership.

A two-year trial of a similar scheme has already taken place in Coventry, with the Department for Transport currently assessing the results.

It led to hundreds of drivers coming forward to scrap their cars in return for credits worth up to £3,000, which they could spend on public transport, taxis, bike shares or car clubs.

Richard Dilks, chief executive of CoMoUK, said: “The North East stands on the verge of an historic opportunity to improve how people move around.

“The region is not currently making the most of the potential of shared transport and needs to boost its provision, promotion and integration – as well as incentivising people to use it.

“Our manifesto contains a series of forward-thinking policies that all of the candidates in the election should be embracing to drive behaviour change.

“We look forward to engaging with all parties and persuading them of the numerous benefits of shared transport, from cutting road congestion to better health for all.”