Campaign for Better Transport has urged the Government to tackle transport emissions now by reducing rail fares to encourage more people to choose the train, rather than relying on 2040 road-based targets.
On the day the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow comes to a close, Campaign for Better Transport is warning that plans to reduce transport emissions by 2040 using cleaner fuels ignores the fact that we need to reduce emissions now and can do so by promoting rail travel and making trains cheaper.
Paul Tuohy, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Why wait until 2040 to reduce emissions from transport, when there are actions we can implement now? Driving less and taking the train more will have an immediate beneficial impact on carbon emissions, as well as reducing congestion and air pollution. The Government must do more to provide the right financial incentives. By reducing rail fares the Government can immediately remove one of the key barriers to rail travel, the cost.”
With cars producing more than four times the greenhouse gas emissions than the equivalent rail journey, Campaign for Transport argues that plans to encourage more people to travel by rail should be a key component in the Government’s plans to decarbonise transport and tackle climate change. The transport charity is calling for the Government to encourage more people to take the train by abolishing peak commuter fares on Fridays for a limited time, discounting season tickets by a third for a limited time, and freezing rail fares for 2022.
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