About you

 

National Express Ltd

Your opinion  

1.        Are the transport emissions reductions targets, policies and proposals (set out in Prosperity for All: A Low Carbon Wales) achievable and sufficiently ambitious?

Yes

1.1   Please outline your reasons for your answer to question 1

There seems to be a recognition that modal shift is the most efficient and expedient mechanism for improving air quality and reducing emissions. On that basis, and providing there is sufficient effort to reduce private car use, the emissions reduction targets are both challenging and achievable. We believe that coach as a mode has a critical role to play in encouraging people out of their cars and we would welcome the opportunity to work together to help deliver these ambitious targets.

 

2.        Is the Welsh Government’s vision for the decarbonisation of transport sufficiently innovative, particularly in terms of advocating new technologies?

Partly

2.1   Please outline your reasons for your answer to question 2

 

We fully support the development of low/zero emission technology such as electric vehicles, although this technology is not yet available to the coach market. While we are keen to see progress in this area, it is important that the existing benefits of mass passenger transit coupled with Euro VI emissions standards are fully recognised and maximised.

With regard to autonomous vehicles, we are concerned at the fact that they do nothing to reduce congestion, or to encourage use of public transport. We would not want the focus on autonomous vehicles to detract from the pressing need for modal shift, or the progress towards electric/hybrid vehicles for long distance coach.

 

3.        What action is required, and by whom, to achieve the targets, policies and objectives?

 

The role of transport providers in delivering air quality targets must be properly recognised and therefore there needs to be an understanding of the transport industry and the associated planning and investment required for fleet renewal and replacement to ensure achievable targets and timescales. Effective industry engagement will be really important. Transport and environment resources within Local Authorities must be fully joined up.

 

4.        How should the new Wales Transport Strategy reflect the actions needed to decarbonise transport?

 

Robust traffic management and congestion-minimising measures, including encouraging modal shift away from private car are essential. It is crucial that cleaner vehicles can deliver the optimum performance in an urban environment to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency savings.

Coach has a part to play in low carbon, clean public transport provision and should not be seen as a mode of last resort; on a per passenger kilometre basis, a full modern 56 seat capacity coach performs better on emissions than the average private car and also uses road space much more efficiently.

We would welcome the introduction of a broad package of measures to encourage greater use of coach as an alternative to private car, such as road prioritisation measures in favour of public transport.

Increased bus and coach priority measures to speed up journey times and make public transport a more attractive option would also be welcome.

 

5.        Do you have any other points you wish to raise within the scope of this inquiry?

 

Coach plays an important role in helping to deliver air quality targets. It has a positive impact on reducing environmental impacts of transport (local air pollutants and greenhouse gasses) on a per passenger kilometre basis due to load factors, and the more efficient use of road space means that a full coach can take one mile of traffic off the road.

When looking to apply the "polluter pays" principle to emissions from road transport, the most sensible metric relates to the emissions on a per passenger kilometre or per ton kilometre basis. It is therefore most useful to focus on the movement of people, rather than the movement of vehicles per se.

Given that coaches are better performing than private cars on a per passenger basis, we would like to see a more considered approach, whereby journeys by bus or coach into central urban areas are more actively encouraged and those by private car are more actively discouraged