‘Anti-car targets’ to be set by Labour to slash carbon footprints – as plans for renationalising rail services revealed
LABOUR has announced it will set anti-car targets in a bid to slash carbon footprints.
Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh today outlined plans for renationalising rail services within five years if Labour wins the next election.
A new public body would inherit existing contracts with train operators when they expire, taking on responsibility for running services.
Automatic refunds for delays and better internet connection on trains are also planned.
But a detailed policy document also revealed how the party wants to dramatically shift Brits’ travel habits away from cars towards greener options like trains.
It says: “Labour will set targets for modal shift to lower emissions from the transport sector.
“Making public transport a more reliable and attractive choice can result in huge reductions in emissions from journeys.
“Travelling from London to Edinburgh by train, for instance, results in emissions 91 per cent lower than travelling by car and 92 per cent lower than flying
“It has also been estimated that if drivers could be persuaded to switch just one 30-mile car journey a month to rail, then total emissions from all cars could be reduced by 6.5 per cent.”
Transport Secretary Mark Harper told The Sun it is not surprising Labour’s “unfunded” plan contained “hidden anti-car ‘targets’ to force motorists off the road”.
He added: “With Labour’s ban on road building in Wales and Sadiq Khan’s expanded ULEZ charge in London, these anti-car targets are the latest examples of how Labour would take us back to square one.
“This Conservative Government backs people to travel how they want, where they want – rather than trying to force people out of their cars for ideological reasons.”
Asked if the targets were about reducing the number of people driving cars, Sir Keir Starmer told the BBC: “We do want to get more people on to trains, many people are not using trains because they’re not reliable enough, but it will actually make it better for road users as well.”
Labour also said the Government already has targets for “modal shift”, including ones to increase the percentage of short journeys in towns and cities that are walked or cycled.
Under the new plan for rail, the party is also pledging to deliver “a best-price ticket guarantee” to ensure passengers automatically pay the lowest possible fare when making contactless payments.
But it is not clear how long it would take to fully deliver it and Ms Haigh said the guarantee would not necessarily mean cheaper prices.
Speaking at Trainline headquarters in central London, she said: “I can’t today set out that we will lower fares, not least because they are incredibly complex and regulation needs reform as well.
“But we have said that we will simplify them, that we will make them more accessible, more transparent and more trustworthy for passengers.”
The Shadow Cabinet Minister insisted the plan was “fully costed” and taxpayers would save £2.2 billion annually.
She later admitted, though, she did not have agreement from Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves that all of those savings could be invested back into the railways.