Following last week’s general election in the UK, which saw the center-left Labour party sweep to power, newly appointed Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, has promised to deliver the biggest overhaul to transportation in a generation.
In her first address to Department for Transport (DfT) Haigh set out her five strategic priorities, putting transport at the heart of mission-driven government.
They are:
1) Improving performance on the railways and driving forward rail reform
2) Improving bus services and growing usage across the country
3) Transforming infrastructure , promoting social mobility and tackling regional inequality
4) Delivering greener transport
5) Better integrating transport networks
Haigh’s first official visit later this week will be focused on plans to deliver better buses in every corner of the country, beginning a round of engagement with Mayors and devolved leaders who will be key delivery partners.
“It will take all our effort but the new motto of our department – our purpose – is simple: move fast and fix things,” said Haigh. “Our department is so clearly central to achieving the missions for government that the Prime Minister has committed us to. Growth, net zero, opportunity, women and girls’ safety, health – none of these can be realised without transport as a key enabler.”
Haigh said DfT would ‘think about infrastructure and services together at every turn’. In her address to staff, she also said the department would ‘focus relentlessly’ on improving performance on the railways and introduce ‘much-needed rail reform’.
The newly-appointed Rail Minister, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE will also bring decades of experience to help realise the UK Government’s ambition of transforming infrastructure and improving public transport to deliver for passengers.
In addition, the UK’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced the appointment of new ministers at the Department for Transport, including Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood MP, Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood MP, and Aviation, Maritime, and Security Minister Mike Kane MP.
