Improvements to public transport are top of the shopping list for people in the West Midlands when asked how the region should tackle the growing problem of congestion.

Better rail services and extensions to the bus showcase and Midland Metro networks all scored highly, as almost nine out of ten people said they believed more should be done to avoid a future gridlock.

Of more than 5,000 people who responded to the consultation on the draft Local Transport Plan, 88 per cent favour doing more to tackle congestion – which costs the region’s businesses £2.6 billion per year.

And three quarters of those who responded feel that the West Midlands should consider the pros and cons of a variety of options for tackling congestion, including charging those who drive on congested roads at the busiest times and introducing flexible working hours to reduce peak flows of traffic. Residents, environmental groups and businesses were amongst those consulted by independent researchers.

Bus Showcase routes use the latest advances in travel technology to make traveling on buses easier for passengers.   A large majority (83 per cent) of people questioned are in favour of extending the Bus Showcase network.   A growing number (79 per cent) were also in favour of expanding the Midland Metro tram network across Birmingham and the Black Country.

The consultation also asked people to prioritise, from a list of 14 options, which transport improvements they feel are the most important. The priorities for respondents are:

• Work towards better rail services – 50 per cent rank this in their top four transport priorities
• Spend more on highway maintenance – 43 per cent rank it as a top four priority
• Extend the Midland Metro tram network – 40 per cent rank it as a top four priority
• Extend the Bus Showcase network – 38 per cent rank it as a top four priority

The results of this consultation have now been incorporated into the draft final West Midlands Local Transport Plan (LTP). This important strategy document, used by the Government to decide future funding levels for transport, will now be considered by all the Metropolitan Authorities, starting with the West Midlands Planning and Transportation sub-committee on January 13. The final, approved, LTP 2006 will be submitted to Government in March this year.

Cllr Roger Lawrence, the West Midlands Transport Champion, said: ‘It is heartening to see that many of the transport improvements proposed in the West Midlands Local Transport Plan have such high levels of public support. West Midlands residents are telling us they wish to see more done to tackle congestion. Their views confirm the challenge we face.’ 

He added: ‘More and more cars are using our roads and the region is predicted to have to cope with more than 165 million extra journeys by 2011. If we don’t address this, gridlock looms. It’s why we’ve started a process of debate, consultation and research to look longer term at all the potential solutions to our traffic problems.’

The West Midlands LTP sets out more than £1bn worth of measures to reduce traffic congestion, improve public transport and make the best use of the roads and rail network across all the Metropolitan Authorities in the West Midlands.

Last November, £2.6million was granted to the seven West Midlands Metropolitan Authorities from the Government’s Transport Innovation Fund (TIF). This money will be used to carry out an in-depth feasibility study into traffic congestion and possible solutions.