February 28, 2022
By Christopher Carey
A report by campaign group Transport and Environment found that the UK’s three largest cities – London, Birmingham and Manchester – rank lowest in Europe in terms of public transport affordability.
Out of 36 European cities, London came in 36th place in the Clean Cities Campaign report, preceded by Manchester (35) and Birmingham (34), with residents in each city required to spend between eight and ten percent of their household budget on monthly travel costs. .
In contrast, in Oslo, which ranked first overall in the report, commuters spend just 2% of their household budget on public transport fares.
Paul Toohey, chief executive of public transport advocacy group Campaign for Better Transport, said: “This report demonstrates the connection between the cost of public transport and efforts to decarbonise transport and should therefore serve as a wake-up call to the UK Government.”
“We currently have a situation where the greenest transport option is not always the cheapest, and it should be. We need more affordable public transport to help us achieve the government’s vision where public transport, cycling and walking are the first choice when it comes to transport.” .
The UK government subsidizes urban transport to a lesser extent than most European countries, with the cost of buses and rail increasing in recent decades.
In the capital, before the pandemic, fares accounted for 72 per cent of Transport for London’s operating income, compared to 36 per cent in Paris.
UK consumers are also facing higher prices, with rail fares expected to rise by 3.8 percent this week, alongside a 4.8 percent rise in London Underground and bus fares.
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The report assessed European cities on the progress they are making towards achieving net-zero mobility measures, ranging from more space for walking and cycling to road safety and policies to phase out polluting cars.
When ranking overall progress towards achieving zero-emission mobility, London came in 12th place with 55.8%. Birmingham came in 17th place (52.8 per cent) and Greater Manchester came in 30th place (42.1 per cent).
Oslo ranked first, followed by Amsterdam, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Paris.
Oliver Lord, chair of the UK Clean Cities Campaign, said: “The only way to tackle air pollution and the climate crisis is to ensure public transport is a cheap, reliable and accessible alternative to the car.
“Our new report shows that UK cities have the least affordable public transport in Europe, which will inevitably get worse given this government’s decision to increase fares in the cost of living crisis. This government must help our cities, not hinder them, to play their part in achieving the Goals UK on clean air and climate.
Photo: Julian Walker (Flickr)
