Tag: Andrew Jones

Below is the text of the speech made by Andrew Jones, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, in Milton Keynes on 17 March 2016.

Good morning.

Thank you for that welcome.

I’m delighted to join you today for what is set to be a fascinating event.

And what better place to host a smart travel conference than Milton Keynes – a city with a growing reputation for transport innovation.

Not only home to the Transport Systems Catapult centre.

But also recently confirmed as one of our ‘Go Ultra Low’ cities.

That means we’ll be providing £9 million to boost the use of green vehicles here through measures like free parking and priority lanes, and to support a new Electric Vehicle Experience Centre.

So it’s a real pleasure to join you today.

Smart travel is about getting us to think about the transport choices we all make.

It’s also about considering how those decisions impact on families, communities and the environment we share.

And making use of new technologies and ideas to keep our towns and cities moving efficiently.

Our ultimate objective is to make all transport ‘smart’.

So everyone takes for granted the smarter travel options we are discussing today – to reduce congestion on our streets, cut pollution and CO2 emissions, and make transport as safe and affordable as possible.

So smart travel becomes the norm – wherever we live.

Admittedly, we’re some way from achieving that at the moment.

While most people acknowledge that the growth in car ownership we’ve seen in recent decades is unsustainable, many drivers are resistant to alternatives, or have no other choice.

So the challenge we face is not just to make vehicles cleaner.

And build environments that make it easier to walk or cycle.

It’s also to encourage behavioural change by developing attractive and affordable options.

And show how that will meet people’s travel needs, while benefiting our society and economy.

Certainly, we are a nation of car lovers.

Often owning 2 or more vehicles in 1 family.

Many local journeys are taken by car, often with just 1 occupant.

Clearly, this isn’t a ‘smart’ use of precious road capacity.

In fact it’s the opposite.

It causes congestion.

It makes parking spaces very challenging to find in many towns and cities.

And it contributes to poor air quality.

Never mind the cost.

It’s not our job to tell people how to travel.

But what we can do is give people real alternatives to car ownership.

In fact we’re already seeing a shift in attitudes, particularly among young people, with the growth of car clubs, and other services which give people the opportunity to share rides.

Many companies now have schemes so staff can drive to work together.

While other demand-responsive projects combine vehicle sharing with more personalised and tailored options.

The DfT has invested £1.5 million in a car clubs programme since 2014, helping clubs launch and expand, supporting demonstration projects, and developing better links between shared transport and public transport.

Since 2014, we’ve funded 23 schemes.

And we are sponsoring a feasibility study into a new initiative in Manchester called Simply Connect, which aims to help local people and businesses make smarter travel choices by improving data and information about different forms of transport.

This is via the Transport Technology Research Innovation Grant.

New technologies are also helping us change the way we use the road network.

Smart motorways are reducing congestion, and improving journey times by smoothing traffic flow.

In fact, during this Parliament, Highways England will add over 400 lane miles of smart motorways.

There’s a huge array of technologies which will profoundly change the way we drive and manage traffic.

And we’re only just starting to test their potential.

While it’s difficult to predict the future of technology, we know further change will come.

Being in Milton Keynes and sharing a stage with Steve Yianni from the Transport System Catapult, I have to mention the groundbreaking work that’s being done in this country on autonomous vehicles.

The projects range from autonomous shuttles and pods to vehicles carrying visually-impaired passengers using advanced sensors and control systems.

All of which will benefit from the government’s £100 million Intelligent Mobility Fund.

Trials to test driverless cars on the streets are being carried out in several locations around the country.

And autonomous vehicles are also being used in Heathrow to move passengers before real world tests start in Greenwich this summer.

Roads, bridges and tunnels are also starting to join the ‘Internet of Things’.

Indeed, wireless connection between vehicles and the wider environment is already helping warn drivers about hazards, weather and traffic patterns.

The systems we use today to bring music and entertainment and GPS information into our vehicles will help us build a smart vehicle network.

For example, if a car ahead hits congestion, it will immediately alert other cars so they can take another route. Autonomous vehicle technologies will profoundly change the way we travel, transforming our roads by making travel a simpler experience for drivers, reducing accidents and helping traffic flow more smoothly.

The UK is a world leader in this field.

And the publication of the Code of Practice for driverless cars reconfirms the UK as the best global location for safe testing without placing additional regulatory burdens on industry.

Alongside the exciting developments in autonomous vehicles, we are also seeing the market for ultra low emission vehicles (ULEV) grow significantly.

I’ve already mentioned the latest developments in Milton Keynes, but there’s tremendous progress going on across the country.

Plug-in vehicle registrations reached a record high in 2015, as 29,972 new ULEVs arrived on UK roads, more than the past 4 years’ totals rolled into one.

That’s a success story the government wants to see continue.

And that’s why in the last Spending Review we increased our support for the British ULEV market to £600 million over this Parliament.

Since 2011, around 70,000 plug in grant claims have been made, and with the continuation of the grant a further 100,000 people will get financial support when purchasing ULEVs.

The UK is one of the largest markets for ULEVs in the EU and the fourth biggest in the world.

And we now have the most comprehensive rapid chargepoint network in Europe.

All this keeps us on track for all cars and vans on our roads to be effectively zero emission by 2050.

We are also encouraging our bus operators to go green.

The government will provide £30 million of funding for low emission buses and associated infrastructure from 2016-2019.

And I hope to announce further details soon.

This scheme builds on nearly £90 million of funding provided through the Green Bus Fund to support the purchase of over 1,200 new low carbon emission buses.

So we have a fantastic opportunity over the next few years to transform the way we think about and use transport.

With huge investment going into cycling and walking.

And £560 million allocated through the new Access Fund.

We are starting to see real change in transport planning.

Both at local and national levels.

Partnerships are springing up to take advantage of those opportunities.

And that’s what Smarter Travel LIVE! is all about.

So can I finish by thanking you for listening.

And thanking Landor for organising a wonderful event.

For bringing us all together.

So in partnership, we can all shape a smarter transport future for Britain.

Below is the text of the speech made by Andrew Jones, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, at the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation conference, on 2 March 2016.

Opening remarks

Good afternoon everyone.

It’s an absolute pleasure to be here.

To be part of a distinguished speaker line-up.

And to round off this excellent conference.

You’ve covered a huge amount of ground in considerable detail today.

And I think what the discussion has shown is that transport needs to be at the heart of planning.

So what I’d like to do in this final speech is give you the government perspective.

And what we’re doing to deliver better transport in an uncertain world.

An uncertain world

You know – I’m sure if we polled any generation of adults over the past 50 years, they’d probably say life was becoming less predictable and secure.

But what about us the 21st century generation?

Undoubtedly, we have faced some exceptional challenges.

From the rise of global terrorism to the financial crash of 2008 both of which have changed the way we look at the world.

Paradoxically, rapidly evolving technologies like smart phones and social media may help us control our own lives.

But they also have the potential to change society in ways we cannot foresee.

Even the government of which I am a member was born out of uncertainty.

Coming to office in 2010, during a period of unprecedented economic upheaval.

As part of the first Coalition in this country since World War Two.

Not knowing precisely how the day to day machinery of government would work.

But despite all these challenges and uncertainties, we are also living through incredibly exciting times.

What one person may describe as ‘uncertainty’, I would call ‘opportunity’.

Particularly for those of us working in transport.

Opportunity to embrace a new age of technological change and innovation.

Opportunity to make transport a real force for good.

And opportunity to mould our future.

Six years of progress

In fact we were able to achieve a great deal during 5 years of coalition government.

We turned round our economy.

And began delivering within our means.

We also built a consensus for infrastructure investment.

According to a Treasury report last year, Britain’s future infrastructure programme is now valued at £411 billion.

By some margin, transport is the biggest part of that programme.

And it’s in this Parliament when we really get cracking with delivery.

We recognise that the stop-start funding of the past created uncertainty within the industry.

So what we’re providing is a sustained pipeline of transport investment that will create jobs, boost productivity, and make the country more economically secure in the future.

This is one of the things we can control.

Wholehearted government commitment.

Predictable and fully committed funding.

So we’re all better placed to take advantage of the opportunities around us.

Our ultimate goal a transport network that supports growth and helps reduce carbon emissions, changing the way we work and travel, is not just a priority.

It’s an essential.

Today we’re at the start of a construction and modernisation programme which will make Britain one of the leading transport investors in the western world.

We start building HS2 next year, for example.

Elsewhere on the railway, there’s Crossrail, Thameslink, Northern Hub, new intercity trains, and a major electrification programme.

This Parliament, we’ve raised funding for transport by 50%.

And we’re rolling out a £15 billion roads investment strategy up to 2020 – the biggest spend on roads since the 1970s, with over 100 major schemes around the country.

We’re already making real progress with that strategy.

Four major schemes are complete and open to traffic.

Five more majors are under construction.

Smart motorways are reducing congestion, and improving journey times by smoothing traffic flow.

In fact, during this Parliament, Highways England will add over 400 lane miles.

And the long-term goal is to link existing stretches to create a new smart motorway corridor between Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and London.

The future today

But what about future technology change?

There’s little doubt that we are on the verge of a road transport revolution.

After 120 years of dominance, there’s an end in sight for the internal combustion engine.

While sales of ultra low emission vehicles are really starting to motor.

And a huge array of other technologies promise equally profound changes to the way we drive and manage traffic.

New fuels.

New ways to fill potholes.

New ideas to improve road safety.

In February we announced £20 million to support 8 projects to help vehicles communicate with roadside infrastructure.

These projects including new ‘talking car technologies’ are the first to be funded from the government’s £100 million Intelligent Mobility Fund.

The projects range from autonomous shuttles and pods to vehicles carrying visually-impaired passengers using advanced sensors and control systems.

Trials to test driverless cars on the streets are being carried out in several locations around the country.

And autonomous vehicles are also being used in Heathrow to move passengers before real world tests start in Greenwich this summer.

The benefits are clear.

Easier travel.

Fewer accidents.

Lower carbon emissions and pollution.

And reduced congestion.

Roads, bridges and tunnels are also starting to join the ‘Internet of Things’.

Indeed, wireless connection between vehicles and the wider environment is already helping warn drivers about hazards, weather and traffic patterns.

Strings of sensors monitor traffic by communicating with mobile phones in moving vehicles.

The information is sent to a traffic control system which automatically adjusts traffic flow.

One of the most interesting areas of development is cars that talk to each other.

We already have the technology.

The systems we use today to bring music and entertainment and GPS information into our vehicles will help us build a smart vehicle network.

If a car ahead hits congestion, it will immediately alert other cars so they can take another route.

Or connected systems could reserve you a parking space at your destination as soon as you get into your car.

No more driving around town centres on a fruitless search.

Technology will also change local highway maintenance.

Helping highway authorities reduce costs.

A simple example is collision sensors which prevent bumps and scrapes while drivers are parking their cars.

Another is autonomous braking.

And this year the University of Leeds, working with Leeds City Council, started a project to create self-repairing cities.

The idea is to use small robots to identify problems with utility pipes, street lights and roads, and fix them with minimal disruption to the public.

New systems are also being used to monitor the condition of roads and other infrastructure, to improve maintenance and reduce whole life costs.

Of course we can’t say with certainty today exactly how all these technologies will evolve, and which of these systems will prove the most successful.

We don’t know precisely how we will navigate the path from fossil fuel-powered cars driven by humans, to low carbon, driverless motoring.

But we do know we will get there.

And that there will be many fantastic opportunities for industry along the way.

Resilience and certainty

That journey starts right now.

We are already working closely with Highways England, the Office for Rail and Road, and the new watchdog Transport Focus to define the process for our next Road investment strategy after 2020.

It won’t just make use of innovative technologies.

It will also be funded in a new way.

As the Chancellor announced last year, we are launching a National Roads Fund, using vehicle excise duty to pay for the upkeep of roads.

Every penny raised through VED will be used to improve the network.

Delivering the long-term certainty the industry asked for.

I was pleased that the CIHT and the rest of the industry welcomed the announcement.

For example, the Civil Engineering Contractors’ Association said it was:

Extremely good news for our sector, because it goes a long way to ensure a secure future for the maintenance and upgrade of the English strategic roads network.

Long-term funding reform is key to delivering the infrastructure that is fit for the 21st century.

I couldn’t agree more.

We’re working with the industry to support resilience in other ways too.

Helping achieve 30,000 road and rail apprenticeships.

Attracting and training thousands of engineers, designers and construction professionals.

And expanding the supply chain.

To deliver the roads programme the country so badly needs.

These are all massive challenges.

For you and for me.

But by working in partnership, we can turn uncertainties about the future into certainties.

Providing long-term, ring-fenced investment.

Managing a more efficient road network.

And putting Britain at the forefront of technological innovation.

The opportunities could not be more exciting.

So let’s grasp them together.

Thank you.

Below is the text of the speech made by Andrew Jones, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, at Cavendish Square in London on 25 February 2016.

Introduction

Thank you.

The relationship between mental health and transport goes deeper than many people realise.

Last week, Professor Ed Bullmore, Head of Psychiatry at Cambridge University, published an article with the title, ‘Why brains and airports have a lot in common’.

He said the best way to understand how the different parts of our brain are wired together is by thinking of how airports are connected by flights.

The different parts of most people’s brains are wired together similarly to how airlines link big airports such as Heathrow or Schiphol.

While in other people’s brains, though they have no fewer connections, those connections are routed as if they are flights between many smaller airports.

The difference helps explain some mental health conditions such as schizophrenia.

Professor Bullmore’s use of transport as a metaphor is a brilliant way of talking about the brain.

Transport is important for mental health

Yet we are here today (25 February 2016) because we know that mental health and transport are linked by more than metaphors.

There’s a real-world connection, too.

The stats say that 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health issue this year.

It might be phobias, anxiety, OCD, depression, panic disorders, dementia or one or more of many other conditions.

You’ve already heard moving accounts of the experience of living with conditions such as these.

And about how, so often for people with mental health conditions, good transport can help a full, timely recovery or just make life that bit better.

Transport offers freedom to visit family, go to the shops, travel to volunteer or to museums, and transport offers the hope that can be found in the chance to study or to work – all the things that make for a normal life.

So it’s a real pleasure to join you for what is probably the first, and almost certainly the biggest, gathering of transport and mental health advocates ever held in Britain.

Transport needs to catch up

And it’s about time we met.

Because when it comes to serving those with poor mental health, transport has some catching up to do.

To see how much, look at the progress the transport industry has made in meeting the needs of those with physical ill health.

Take the bus industry – one of my areas of responsibility.

Today nearly 90% of buses are equipped to serve physically disabled people, with wheelchair space, priority seats, handrails, and devices to help people get on and off.

But on mental health, there’s sadly been nothing like that kind of progress.

Even someone with the best mental health will sometimes find public transport stressful and bewildering.

Just ask anyone who’s been at Clapham Junction train station during rush hour.

Or anyone who’s boarded a bus in an unfamiliar town, not quite knowing where to get off or even whether you are travelling on the right bus going in the right direction.

Or anyone who’s had to dash from one airport terminal to another in time to catch a flight.

And then there’s the familiar feeling of rising panic whenever the ticket inspector enters the railway carriage, even when you are sure you have a valid ticket.

No wonder someone who experiences anxiety, panic attacks, memory loss or a host of other possible conditions can feel unable to use public transport.

I had a lot of sympathy with one person with a mental health condition who said:

You might afford the bus, but the bus company’s website doesn’t give fares. To find out the fares you have to speak to the bus driver or phone the company. Just thinking about either brings on a panic attack. The dread of getting on the bus with insufficient fare is overwhelming.

So what are we going to do about problems like these?

What we must do

First, we need to recognise that transport’s problem with mental ill health is a symptom of a wider problem.

Across much of our society and our economy, mental health has not received the same level of attention as physical health.

It might be because mental health is less visible.

It might be because people don’t understand mental ill health and how common it really is.

Or it might be because of the stigma that still lingers around mental health, a stigma that for physical health we long ago dispelled.

The good news is that things are changing.

During the coalition government we passed the Health and Social Care Act 2012, to make sure the NHS treats mental and physical health conditions equally.

And thanks to the work of organisations like those here today, such as the Mental Health Action Group, Mind, and Anxiety UK, that change is gathering pace.

The BBC, which is covering our Summit today, has just finished its mental health season.

And last week both the Duchess of Cambridge and First Lady Michelle Obama wrote high-profile articles on the importance of proper treatment for mental ill health.

So bit by bit, we are breaking down the stigma and misunderstanding around mental health.

What transport has done already

But now we need that change to come to the transport sector, too.

And there are some early signs of encouraging progress.

First Bus have introduced a Better Journeys Card which is designed to give people a discrete way of alerting the bus driver to any special assistance they may need. The card contains messages such as please help me find a seat, please count out my change with me and, please be patient, I have a hidden disability.

These cards remind us that, so often, it’s skilled and helpful transport staff who make the biggest difference to passengers.

So I am pleased that, on the railways, Virgin Trains has been working with the Alzheimer’s Society to deliver specialist training to station staff, which has meant that a number of its stations are increasingly dementia-friendly.

And many airports have been making progress too.

Most airports now offer familiarisation visits to those who would benefit from them before they fly.

Gatwick has said that, so far, 80% of its front-line staff have undergone Dementia Champions and Dementia Friends training, and the airport has introduced its own bespoke NVQ Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Dementia Care for customer-facing staff.

Meanwhile, Manchester Airport has recognised how stressful the security search process can be for children with autism. So it has special wrist-bands for children to wear to alert staff that they need a search procedure suited to them.

These are great examples of the difference that transport operators can make when they think about those with mental health needs.

Buses Bill

And the person who said they were worried about boarding the bus without knowing the fare might be pleased to hear that we are going to make a new law.

As part of our Buses Bill, all bus operators will be required to make data about routes, fares and times open and accessible.

It will allow app makers to develop products that passengers can use to plan their journeys, and give people the confidence to take the bus.

Transport industry pledge

But we need the industry to keep taking action of its own accord, too.

For one thing, there’s a good commercial case for it.

If 1 in 4 of us will experience a problem in any given year, and if 1 in 20 of us experience a long-term mental health condition during our lives, then those with mental health conditions constitute the UK’s largest single sector of disabled people, and a transport industry which excludes these people is missing out on millions of potential customers.

Yet the many transport firms represented here today show there’s a lot of good intent out there.

The government doesn’t want to impose a one-size-fits-all solution on the transport industry.

It’s about getting to know your customers and taking action in the most effective way for your sector.

That’s what I’d like you to think about this afternoon.

And if you have a good idea, we’ve provided pledge cards that you can fill in to record what you are going to do.

Conclusion

So in conclusion, change is coming in transport.

People want a better service, more attuned to their needs.

Those with mental health conditions have as much right to travel as anyone else.

And making the improvements these passengers want needn’t be expensive.

It’s often just a question of listening, being flexible, and giving staff the right kind of training.

If we get it right, our transport networks will be better for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

So make your pledges.

This summit isn’t a one-day-wonder.

It’s an issue that will keep rising up the agenda.

And that is what will make life better for us all.

Thank you.

Below is the text of the speech made by Andrew Jones, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, on 23 February 2016.

Introduction

Thank you for the chance to speak this evening (23 February 2016).

It’s a really opportune time to be speaking in Parliament about road passenger transport, and in particular, about buses. Because we will shortly introduce the government’s Buses Bill: the first bus-specific legislation in living memory. So tonight is a good opportunity to say the latest on what the bill will contain.

Background to the bill – 3 principles

But first, I would like to set out some of the thinking behind the bill. It’s a bill that has been informed by three principles.

Our first principle is simply this: that people using buses is a good thing. Bus services offer huge public benefits. They help people get to the shops and to work, boosting our economy. They enable people to visit friends and family, building social links. And buses can reduce air pollution, helping our environment.

So our second principle is that, given we want to see people using buses, local areas should have the best possible tools for supporting and increasing that bus usage. Over recent decades, the trend in numbers of people taking the bus is patchy. There’s regional variation. Some places have seen declines. In others there’s been a rise. Either way, it’s clear that the tools local areas have at their disposal to increase bus usage, such as the quality contracts — introduced in 2001 but still never successfully used — are insufficiently effective. So we believe there’s a case for local areas to have some new options, even if those options won’t be taken up in every area.

And that leads to the third principle informing the bill: the principle of devolution. Devolution is an underlying theme of this government. And not just in transport. You can see it in free schools, academies, the scrapping of centrally-set targets for local authorities, and directly elected mayors. It’s because people want more of a say in the decisions that affect them. And there’s an appetite for political power to become more local. So we’ve agreed devolution deals with Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, and several other areas. And these places have told us that, for devolution to reach its full potential, they need greater choice over how local transport works. To have the choice, for example, to link bus routes to local economic development, such as new housing, and new business parks.

Open data

So those are the principles that inform the content of the Buses Bill. And those principles are why the bill will include a requirement that operators make data about routes, fares and times open and accessible.

It is in everyone’s interests for people to know as much as possible about the bus services in their area. So through open data, app makers will be able to develop products that passengers can use to plan their journeys and give people the confidence to leave the car at home and take the bus instead.

New partnerships

The bill will also introduce new arrangements for local authorities and bus operators to enter into partnership with one another; to agree their own standards for all services in their area; perhaps focusing on frequency and reliability along a particular route or transport corridor; or setting emissions standards to improve local air quality; or introducing common branding, marketing and ticketing rules over a wider geographical area.

This new partnership approach won’t be right for every area. And sometimes, there will be a case for more radical change. For example, some of the things that some local areas want can be difficult to deliver in a fully de-regulated bus market — such as a single fare structure across different operators and transport modes.

Franchising

So the bill will honour our devolution deal commitments to give local authorities the choice to use new powers to franchise bus services in their areas. I want to keep the good parts of the quality contract scheme process, which at least forces people to think things through properly. But I want to lose the parts which don’t work, such as the excessive cost and the bureaucracy. The decision to take up these new powers will be for local areas to take. Ministers might have a role in granting the powers in the first place — as they presently do through the devolution deal process. But once a local area has these powers, the decision to use them will be theirs and theirs alone.

As you would expect, local areas will need clear arrangements for ensuring the powers are used accountably, the capability to meet their promises to passengers, and a system that does not disadvantage bus services that cross local or national boundaries. Yet we certainly do not foresee a one-size-fits-all approach in every area. Some local authorities may want to introduce newly-integrated, uniformly branded networks of services, much like you see in London. Others will just want to build and improve on what’s already there. Whatever approach is chosen — and that will be a local decision — we want to ensure that bus operators and the wider supply chain have as much notice of change as possible, and that the effects on small operators are considered properly.

What the bill will not do

So that is what the bill will do. Yet before concluding, I would also like to set out what the bill will not do.

First, and for the benefit of the coach operators in the room, it will not affect long-distance coach services. Nor will it affect coach hire services. It will only to apply to local bus services. And even then, its effect will differ from area to area. Because the bill will be an enabling bill. It gives local authorities new choices about how they can improve bus services. But it does not impose those choices. In many cases it may be better to leave things just as they are. For those cases, our message will be – if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. The status quo is acceptable too.

And finally, neither will the bill give local authorities new powers to take bus operators’ assets, such as vehicles or land. Oversight of anti-competitive behaviour will be left to the Competition and Markets Authority — exactly where oversight lies at the moment.

Conclusion

So I hope that summary of the bill, of the thinking behind it and its contents, has been helpful.

We will introduce the bill soon — as soon as we’ve finished the legal drafting and we have been allocated Parliamentary time. But one thing’s certain. Every member of this House knows how important bus services are to their constituents. So we can expect some really thorough debate on the bill before it obtains Royal Assent If we get it right, passengers will benefit. And so, I believe, will the bus industry.

Thank you.

Below is the text of the speech made by Andrew Jones, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London on 11 February 2016.

Introduction

It’s a real pleasure to open the Transport Times UK Bus Summit 2016.

I’m really grateful to the Transport Times for running the event and to everyone here for coming.

I’ve chosen as my topic this morning (11 February 2016) the government’s forthcoming Buses Bill.

I want to set out clearly, and in more detail than the government has done before, why we are introducing a Buses Bill, what the bill will do, and what we expect to change as a result.

Context and aim of the bill

But first, I would like to provide some context.

In preparing this bill, we have one clear aim, which is this: to increase bus passenger numbers.

Buses help people get to the shops and to work, boosting our economy.

Buses enable people to visit friends and family, providing great social benefits.

And buses can reduce congestion and air pollution, offering great benefits to our environment.

So it is a matter of concern that over the years there has been a general decline in passenger numbers. And it explains the overriding aim of our bill; to get more people using buses.

What the bill will not do

But second, I would also like to dispel a few misconceptions by setting out what the bill will not do.

The bill will not impose any particular arrangement on local authorities or on bus operators.

Neither will the bill give local authorities new powers to take bus operators’ assets, such as vehicles or land.

Oversight of anti-competitive behaviour will be left to the Competition and Markets Authority — exactly where oversight lies at the moment.

And nor does the bill impose wholesale re-regulation.

Instead, the Buses Bill is an enabling bill.

It gives local authorities new choices.

Choices about how they can improve bus services in the interests of their residents, and, I believe, in the long-term interest of the bus industry too.

So, why are we introducing a Buses Bill?

After all, the government is plainly on the side of free enterprise.

We are in favour of cutting red tape, and giving the private sector the space it needs to grow.

And there’s so much about today’s de-regulated bus industry that works well.

The latest Transport Focus survey shows that nearly 9 out of 10 customers are satisfied with their bus services. In my own area I can see good practice, with Transdev launching new state-of-the-art buses on route 36 between Leeds, Harrogate and Rippon.

At the same time, a challenger operator — Connexions buses — is pioneering new routes and reaching new markets.

Across the country, commercial operators are introducing smart cards, installing Wi-Fi, co-ordinating timetables, and making great strides in improving accessibility — 89% of buses comply with accessibility standards, and we are on track for virtually 100%.

All this progress is down to operators taking decisions in the interests of their passengers.

It shows that the de-regulation of the industry has been a success.

But it would be wrong to pretend that there’s no room for improvement.

We only have to look to the streets outside this building to see how, in some circumstances, things can be done differently.

And just as in London, passengers right across the country want Oyster-style ticketing, better access to information about timetables, better information on fares before they travel, and real-time data about when the bus is going to arrive at their stop.

There are many other opportunities for improvement, too.

To make sure that bus routes reflect and support local economic development, such as new housing, and new business parks.

As things stand, areas that want these improvements have a choice.

They can enter into voluntary partnerships with bus operators.

They can agree quality partnerships, which have the backing of law.

Or they can propose quality contracts, under which local authorities take on responsibility for services. But each of these choices have drawbacks.

Voluntary arrangements are only as good as the personal relationships between those involved.

Statutory partnerships force local authorities, by law, to spend public money on new infrastructure, even when everyone agrees it isn’t needed.

While the quality contract scheme process — introduced in 2000 — has proved more time consuming, costly and challenging than anybody could ever have imagined.

So we believe there’s room for some additional choices.

Choices that keep the best features of a de-regulated market, but that give local areas greater say over bus services.

What the bill will include — open data

So, first, our bill will address passengers’ need for better information.

It is in everyone’s interests for people to know as much as possible about the bus services in their area. So our proposal is that all operators will be required to make data about routes, fares and times open and accessible.

It will allow app makers to develop products that passengers can use to plan their journeys, and give people the confidence to leave the car at home and take the bus instead.

What the bill will include — new partnerships

Second, the bill will introduce new arrangements for local authorities and bus operators to enter into partnership.

We will remove the requirement that a quality partnership scheme must always involve new infrastructure. And we will introduce new, enhanced, partnerships that allow local authorities and bus operators to agree their own standards for all services in their area — perhaps focusing on frequency and reliability along a particular route or transport corridor, or setting emissions standards to improve local air quality, or introducing common branding, marketing and ticketing rules over a wider geographical area.

In this way, the bill will build on the strengths of existing partnership arrangements while addressing their weaknesses, including the weakness that allows a small minority of operators to block improvements that have been agreed by the majority.

This new partnership approach won’t be right for every area. In many cases it may be better to leave things just as they are. For those cases, our message will be — if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. The status quo is acceptable too.

Yet sometimes there will be a case for more radical change. For example, some of the things that Londoners have come to expect can be difficult to deliver in a fully de-regulated bus market, such as a single fare structure across different operators and transport modes.

What the bill will include — franchising

So the bill will honour our devolution deal commitments to give local authorities the choice to use new powers to franchise bus services in their areas.

I want to keep the good parts of the quality contract scheme process, which at least forces people to think things through properly, but I want to lose the parts which don’t work, such as the excessive cost, the bureaucracy and the second-guessing.

The decision to take up those powers will for local areas to make.

Local areas will need clear arrangements for ensuring the powers are used accountably, the capability to meet their promises to passengers, and a system that does not disadvantage bus services that cross local authority boundaries.

Operators will need to play their part too.

This will an important decision for local areas to make, and it must be made on the basis of solid information, provided in a timely way.

We certainly do not foresee a one-size-fits-all approach in every area.

Some local authorities may want to introduce newly-integrated, uniformly branded networks of services just as you see in London.

Others will just want to build and improve on what’s already there.

Whatever approach is chosen — and that will be a local decision — we want to ensure that bus operators and the wider supply chain have as much notice of change as possible.

And that the effects on small operators are considered properly.

In every case, local authorities will need to work closely with the operators in their area to manage the process in the best interest of passengers, particularly during periods of transition which will need to be handled with care.

Conclusion

So in conclusion, I hope that’s given everyone plenty to talk about.

I can’t yet tell you exactly when the bill will be introduced into Parliament, save to say that the finest minds are working on it and you will see it very soon.

We are hoping for Royal Assent by early next year.

But we are certainly not at the end of the road just yet.

Everything in the bill will be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

And it won’t become law until Parliament is satisfied.

So there’s plenty of opportunity to shape the content.

And I look forward to much debate and discussion in the months ahead.

Thank you.

Below is the text of the speech made by Andrew Jones, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, at the Lancaster Hotel in London on 21 January 2016.

Introduction

I am really grateful for the chance to speak today.

And thank you to Chargemaster for hosting today’s conference.

It’s great to hear about your work and ideas for the future.

There’s a real buzz around the electric vehicle market nowadays.

And I mean that figuratively, as well as literally.

The shift we are seeing reminds me of the spread of the internet in the 1990s.

The internet started small, as a niche interest, but then it snowballed, and now it’s hard to imagine being without it.

I think we are seeing a similar picture emerging for ultra low emission vehicles in Britain today.

ULEV sales are not just growing rapidly.

They are rocketing.

Plug-in vehicle registrations reached a record high in 2015, as 28,188 new ULEVs arrived on UK roads, more than the past 5 years’ totals rolled into one.

The UK now has the most comprehensive rapid chargepoint network in Europe, and home-grown companies such as Chargemaster are making the UK’s ULEV industry a private sector success story.

Ambition

That’s a success story the government wants to see continue.

And that’s why in the last Spending Review we increased our support for the British ULEV market to £600 million over the next 5 years.

Since 2011, more than 50,000 plug in grant claims have been made, and our new grants will ensure a further 100,000 people will get financial support when purchasing ULEVs.

And we are continuing the highly valued home charge scheme under which home-owners can receive a grant for most of the cost of installing a home chargepoint.

And we are working with local authorities to increase numbers of on-street chargers for owners who don’t have off-street parking.

By 2050, we want virtually every car and van on the road to be zero emission.

Councils in the capital and across the country have similar objectives, and we will shortly announce the winners of a £40 million Go Ultra Low Cities scheme.

The successful local authorities have clear plans for their own city-wide ultra-low emission vehicle revolutions, and will receive funding to achieve those plans.

The rationale for this kind of local funding is clear.

It’s often in the local area that the benefits of ULEV vehicles are most plainly felt — as contributing to cleaner air, healthier lungs and lower noise pollution.

But this transformation won’t be limited to the areas covered by our Go Ultra Low Cities scheme.

ULEVs are an opportunity — and an increasing necessity — for everywhere in the country.

Anyone who was in London yesterday will have seen the pall of smog over the city.

Installing the right ULEV infrastructure in London is challenging.

After our Plugged in Places funding there are more than 1500 chargepoints in London.

But greater progress is possible, and necessary.

So I am pleased that Transport for London have high ambitions for their ULEV delivery plan, which is moving towards implementation.

Challenge

What is so important about the charging network is that growth in ULEVs can only continue if the public’s confidence in their ability to charge is maintained.

The vehicles on display here offer everything a driver could want.

They look fantastic, and drive well.

There are now more than 29 models on sale in the UK — enough to suit all needs, and the choice is increasing all the time.

Some cars be fully charged in as little as 20 minutes — not much more than the time it takes to drop the kids off at school.

So chargepoint technology is improving and reliability is getting better and better.

But drivers need to know that the chargepoint network in their area is comprehensive, expanding, and well-maintained; so that they can drive with confidence to the supermarket, the high street, or the local primary school.

And there’s lots that local authorities can do to improve their chargepoint network.

Such as requiring new building developments to include chargepoints, providing dedicated parking bays for local ULEV car clubs or allowing preferential access for ULEVs in low emissions zones.

And when drivers have invested in a ULEV, they need the right information so they can set out with confidence; to know where their nearest chargepoint is, and that it’s in good working order.

Good information doesn’t help just existing drivers, it also helps newcomers take their first plunge into the ULEV market.

Through measures such as these, local authorities have a strong hand in encouraging the uptake of ULEV vehicles, and I’m really keen to see them play that hand well.

Conclusion

The internet only really snowballed when internet users, providers, website retailers and investors came together in sufficient numbers to create a tipping point

We’re reaching that tipping point with the ULEV market.

But the closer we can work together — across government, manufacturers, chargepoint hosts and network operators.

The quicker we can transform our neighbourhoods.

And deliver the cleaner air and quieter streets we need.

That collaboration is our task in 2016.

And we are making a great start at today’s conference.

Thank you.

Below is the text of the speech made by Andrew Jones, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons, London, on 12 January 2016.

It’s a real pleasure to be here today, and I am grateful for the chance to speak.

Today, transport ticketing is on a journey of transformation.

After a decade of pioneering progress, three vital elements have come together.

Smart ticketing technology is becoming more mature.

Passengers are starting to expect new ticketing technologies.

And transport operators are committed to meeting passengers’ expectations.

Transport for London has shown what can be done and in the past six months there has been some really significant progress in other cities.

Against that background, I am delighted with the news today that the card payment and rail industries have agreed to make it more convenient for passengers to pay for journeys using contactless cards and devices, and that the bus industry will make contactless payment fleet-wide in UK by 2022.

These landmark announcements are proof that we have reached a smart ticketing tipping point.

The benefits are clear and we can see signs of this already in the cities outside London.

Last November, I visited Nexus, Tyne & Wear’s transport authority, for the launch of the Purple Pop, the first capped Pay As You Go smartcard product outside the capital.

The Purple Pop is a great example of city regions taking the initiative – and as a result of smart ticketing, Nexus has seen a rise in both passenger journeys and revenues.

Of course, other arrangements can work, too – such as public and private sectors working together.

The Smart Cities Partnership has shown the way – supporting multi-operator smart ticketing across all modes of transport in nine regional cities outside of London and leading to the distribution of at least 700,000 smart cards.

There is a growing appetite for these new ticketing technologies but we need to make sure that they have the opportunity to develop outside London.

We have given more power to the cities because they have said they want to deliver a better experience for passengers, and now we want to see the industry demonstrate what it can do with minimum intervention.

But whether the changes are forged by the private sector or city authorities, or both working together, the key ingredient will always be collaboration.

Transport is complex.

It involves many different interested parties.

And it’s not always easy to reach consensus.

So we need collaboration between forward-thinking cities, operators and suppliers.

What is so impressive about today’s announcements is how the bus, train and payments companies have all worked together to find solutions that benefit passengers.

This achievement means a world in which passengers can choose how they pay, whether through payment cards, smartphones or wearable tokens, is closer than ever.

It will be a world in which time spent queuing for a ticket is a thing of the past.

And a world in which the rail industry’s orange tickets no longer clutter the nation’s pockets.

Of course, there’s plenty still to do.

And where there’s a case for extra government help, we will provide it.

In the spending review we announced that we would spend up to £150 million on smart ticketing as part of our plan to build a northern powerhouse.

I am sure that many people here will be working closely Transport for the North as the implementation plan takes shape.

And that’s a vital point.

The smart ticketing revolution won’t happen without your help.

We need innovative thinking.

Creative endeavour.

A firm focus on the solutions that help passengers.

I know there’s plenty of that here today.

It’s become a hallmark of the smart ticketing industry.

And it’s down to your efforts that we are living in a rare time of real transport change.

So thank you for your work.

Thank you for everything you have done to get us where we are today.

And thank you for your commitment to the future of transport.

Below is the text of the speech made by Andrew Jones, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, at the LowCVP Annual Conference  held on 24 June 2015.

Introduction

Thank you for that introduction.

And good morning everyone.

It’s a real pleasure to join you today (24 June 2015).

And to have this opportunity to address such an expert and distinguished audience.

As both a local councillor in Harrogate, and as an MP, I’ve been a keen advocate for renewable energy and green growth.

So I was delighted to take on the environmental brief at the Department for Transport following the recent general election.

And it’s fitting that my first keynote speech on the subject should be here, today.

Because the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership has done so much to further the cause of green motoring.

And I know this conference has always provided an excellent forum for debate and discussion.

Thriving UK Industry

I’m fortunate to take on this job at a time of optimism and growth within the industry.

Just as Britain is thriving again, so is the British motor industry.

And never have customers enjoyed such energy-efficient products.

It is thanks to the billions invested by car-makers in greener technologies that last year, average UK new car CO2 emissions fell to a record low: down by nearly a quarter since 2007.

But although mainstream models have been selling well, the fastest growth is in the ultra low carbon sector.

So far this year sales of cars eligible for the Plug-in Car Grant have grown more than threefold, while pure-electric car sales have almost doubled.

That’s a fantastic achievement.

It’s testament to the work of organisations like the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, and Go Ultra Low.

And also to the relationship between government and industry that’s been nurtured over many years.

Showrooms are also doing brisk business with hybrid vehicles.

So far this year, diesel-electric hybrid sales are up nearly 37%.

When people see how far the industry has come in recent years, I think they are starting to appreciate that our ultimate objective, which is to effectively make every car on the road ultra low emission by 2050, is entirely achievable.

There are now 26 models eligible for the plug-in car grant – from luxury cars to city vehicles.

And that choice is only going to increase as demand for clean vehicles grows.

We are continuing the plug-in car grant with over £200 million during the current parliament.

Thousands of people – and many fleets – are discovering that owning an ultra-low emission vehicle no longer requires fundamental compromise.

Whether it’s on convenience, driving experience, or affordability.

And the government is not just talking about this.

We’re part of this motoring revolution.

We’re investing £5 million to add 140 ULEV vehicles to departmental fleets.

And lots more ultra low vehicles are being used by other public sector fleets.

Speaking as someone who drove my first electric car just last weekend – a Nissan Leaf built in Sunderland – I must say I was amazed at its performance and refinement.

Nissan has been among the pioneers of low emission motoring in this country.

But it’s the sheer diversity and capability of our low carbon vehicle sector that really impresses.

With companies like BMW, Detroit Electric, Geely and Mahindra investing in UK facilities.

From taxis to supercars, the range of vehicles benefiting from ultra-low technologies is growing all the time.

Formula E

So it came as no surprise that Formula E, the global electric racing series, has also found a natural home in this country – at Donnington Park.

For decades our motorsport industry has been a global leader.

7 out of 10 Formula 1 teams are based in this country.

And around 4,000 businesses supply the UK motorsports industry.

Employing nearly 40,000 people.

Many of them high skilled engineers.

The true value of these businesses to the UK economy is huge.

Because they also develop cutting edge technologies that can then be transferred to the mass market, making everyday motoring safer, more affordable and greener.

Now Formula E can do the same for production electric vehicles.

And help us build expertise in areas like aerodynamics, energy storage, and precision machining of components, that will one day make electric cars the clear choice for the majority of drivers.

On Saturday, the competition comes to Battersea Park in London.

The climax to the inaugural season.

Where the first ever Formula E champion will be crowned.

And we’ll be using the event through the Go Ultra Low campaign to drive home the core messages on the benefits of electric cars.

And hopefully persuade some of the spectators to try ultra low motoring themselves.

What we’re doing

We have a great opportunity here – not just to make the UK one of the world’s leading market for green vehicles – but also one of the world’s leading producers too.

That’s why, in partnership with industry, we created the Advanced Propulsion Centre.

And it is why we’re investing £500 million to support ultra-low emission vehicles.

And help UK businesses develop products for market.

We’re delivering £125 million for low emission vehicle research and development, match funded by industry.

We’re working with you on the Go Ultra Low Campaign.

And we’re developing the infrastructure to support the market further.

With fast charging at home, on the street, at rail stations, in town centres, car parks.

And many more locations.

Take Bristol, for example.

Already one of this country’s greenest cities.

By the end of 2015, Bristol will have gained a new network of 100 electric vehicle charging points.

For the first time it will be possible to hire electric vehicles as part of the Bristol Car Club fleet.

And we’re providing the city with a million pounds to trial a number of cutting-edge low carbon buses.

We’re also supporting other schemes to develop low emission buses and trucks.

But not all modes of transport can be easily electrified in the near future.

Sustainable biofuels will have an important role to play in the decarbonisation of transport.

So to encourage innovation we’ve committed £25 million for a competition as part of plans to support up to three demonstration-scale advanced biofuel plants in the UK.

We expect to announce the winners later this summer.

I’m grateful to the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership and members of the audience for engaging in the work of the Transport Energy Task Force which examined options for incentivising biofuels to 2020 and beyond.

The task force’s report puts us in a good place to assess how to meet our greenhouse gas targets in transport.

Now there’s agreement at EU level on Indirect Land Use Change regarding biofuels, I am keen that we provide policy clarity for the industry on our plans as soon as possible.

Air Quality

All these initiatives will help us achieve our fundamental goals of reducing carbon emissions, while keeping the population mobile, and building a flourishing low carbon economy in the UK.

But having come from local government into central government, I’m aware that big concepts like global warming and climate change can seem remote and distant to people’s everyday lives.

We talk about saving billions of tons of carbon by making transport greener.

But frankly, that doesn’t always resonate among communities.

People are more likely to listen to messages and issues which affect them directly, and have some impact on their daily lives.

Issues like air quality.

People listen to news reports about the health effects of pollution.

Yet all too often the local and global aspects of transport emissions are divorced, when in fact they are closely related.

Ultra low emission vehicles not only help tackle climate change.

They make our air cleaner too.

Cutting levels of particulates and other pollutants.

Reducing levels of particulate matter could help prevent up to 29,000 premature deaths annually.

While overall air quality has improved as emissions from heavy industry and transport have become cleaner, we are still failing to meet EU limits for nitrogen oxides.

Concern over the long term impact of diesel emissions has surfaced in regular media reports recently.

And it’s unlikely to go away.

So I want to urge the industry to stress the local air quality benefits of ultra low emission motoring.

And in doing so spread the message to a wider audience.

Of course we have to take into consideration the emissions produced by generating the electricity for electric vehicles.

But still, ultra low emission vehicles have a very positive environmental story to tell.

Indeed, there are resources on the web which compare the full range of emissions for every car which qualifies for the plug-in car-grant.

The government is working with the EU to bring forward real world vehicle emission testing.

Something that will certainly help us communicate the wider environmental message.

But I would welcome your views on this.

And how we can identify opportunities for further reducing air pollutants from vehicles.

While of course continuing our work to drive down carbon emissions.

Conclusion

This spirit of partnership and co-operation is at the heart of the progress we’ve made in recent years.

Kick-starting and developing the ultra low market.

Launching an ever-growing range of desirable ULEV cars.

And constructing a charging infrastructure.

We’re on this journey together.

So I’d like to thank everyone here who has contributed to that success.

As for the future, well, this is already a fast moving market.

And it’s going to move faster.

Particularly here in the UK, where we have big ambitions to be a global leader.

And as it does so, the partnership we share will become more important.

We will have to work even more closely together.

Business and government, hand in hand.

To make our economy stronger, and our environment cleaner.

Yes, it will be a challenge.

But it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to immensely.

And it’s a challenge I know we will meet.

Thank you.

Below is the text of the speech made by Andrew Jones, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, at The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders in London on 22 October 2015.

Introduction

Thank you.

I am grateful to everyone for coming today.

And to the SMMT for hosting this event.

I want the next 5 years to be remembered as the dawn of the ultra low emission vehicle era.

The time in which we reach the ULEV popularity tipping point.

And the signs so far are good.

Between January and September this year, nearly 21,000 ULEVs were sold in the UK.

Growth of 140% against last year.

And sales of plug-in hybrids were up almost 230%.

The UK is now the fastest growing market for electric vehicles in Europe.

UK fleets are agents of change

And best of all, more than two thirds of ultra low emission vehicles bought in the UK were bought by businesses.

That’s great news.

Because UK fleets are, and always have been, agents of motoring change.

Many of the innovations that have made cars greener, safer and more efficient in recent decades were made by manufacturers responding to pioneering fleet managers.

And today, fleet managers have plenty of choice.

There are at least 27 different electric or plug-in hybrid cars, and 9 different vans to choose from, from capable city run-arounds and business hatchbacks to SUVs and sports cars, with even more due to the market soon.

And businesses are choosing them.

Business sense

That’s because going ultra low makes business sense.

The government’s plug-in car grant means that the purchase of an ultra low emission vehicle doesn’t have to cost more than a conventional one.

The Mitsubishi Outlander Phev is the UK’s best-selling plug-in vehicle, and after the £5,000 grant it is the same price as its diesel equivalent.

Then there are the ULEV tax breaks and the big savings on servicing and running costs.

Lex Autolease has proven that driving a BMW i3 for 60,000 miles over 4 years will save nearly £2,800 compared to a non-electric equivalent.

And for fleets, those savings will multiply.

A fleet of 10 Nissan LEAFs can save £50,000 over a 4-year operating cycle.

And by going electric a company car driver can save £6,000 in benefit-in-kind company car tax over a 5 year period.

Of course, then there are hard-to-quantify – but very real – benefits to corporate image and social responsibility.

The next level

This government is grateful to businesses for leading the ULEV charge.

Our ultimate goal is for virtually every car and van on the road to be zero emission by 2050.

That’s a challenging target.

Just as it should be.

And this government will support businesses so you can continue to be bold in adopting new technology.

Because when businesses lead the way, manufacturers respond with better range and performance, more charging points and lower costs.

Government support

So over the next 5 years, as well as keeping tax low, we are investing £500 million to support the ultra low emission vehicle market.

We announced in August that we will continue the plug-in vehicle grant at the current levels until at least February 2016.

And we are expanding the charging infrastructure, too, so the UK now has over 600 rapid charge points, giving the UK the best charging network in Europe and allowing for fast charging at home, on the street, at railway stations, in town centres, service stations and car parks.

Already, there are thousands more locations where vehicles can be plugged in than there are petrol stations, and the numbers are growing every week.

The City of Bristol is a great example of how this money is making a difference.

By the end of 2015, Bristol will have gained a new network of 100 electric vehicle charging points.

For the first time it will be possible to hire electric vehicles as part of the Bristol Car Club fleet.

And we have provided the city with a million pounds to trial a number of cutting-edge low carbon buses.

Public sector fleets

But if we are entering the era of the ultra low emission vehicle, we need even more fleets to make the change, and in even greater numbers.

So far, the private sector has been leading the way.

And now we are going to invest £5 million to support the purchase of ULEVs for public sector fleets.

The Office of Low Emission Vehicles will support 50 public sector organisations to buy up to 300 ULEV vehicles.

And today we are also publishing a new business guide to plug-in vehicles, providing all the information a fleet manager might need for the decision to go ultra low.

Conclusion

So in conclusion, I can only say – thank you.

The progress we’ve seen in the ULEV market has been breathtaking.

The government has lent its support, and British businesses have responded.

So that today, an unprecedented, irreversible shift is taking place in the automotive market.

We have arrived at the future of business mobility, and there’s no going back.

Thank you.