ICE submission to the Transport Committee inquiry on joined-up journeys

The UK government wants to increase private investment in infrastructure to support economic growth .

This inquiry by the Transport Committee examined how the government can ensure transport services and networks enable the journeys that people need and want to make in their daily lives.

The ICE’s makes the following key points:

• The key issue has been the lack of an overarching strategic plan for transport that enables joined-up planning across the entire network. The upcoming Integrated National Transport Strategy (INTS) is an opportunity to address this, and is something the ICE has long called for.
• Infrastructure is a tool, not an end in itself. Joined-up transport planning also means being more people-focused. The INTS is an opportunity to think differently to ensure the transport network is modern and fit to meet societal challenges and people’s needs in the 2030s and beyond.
• The data currently being collected is not always the data needed to enable better decision-making about transport projects. There may be a tendency to measure what is easier rather than what is required.
• England’s fragmentation of strategic objectives for transport has made it hard for decision-makers to assess the trade-offs between different options and develop the best solutions suited to the desired outcomes. There is no means of assessing the appropriate level of resources for different modes against wider aspirations for what the network needs to deliver.