DECARBONISING THE TRANSPORT SECTOR

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december 2020 :: RMTnews 24 Transport is the country’s highest emitting sector of greenhouse gases and the Department for Transport recently launched a ‘call for ideas’ around the development of its Transport Decarbonisation Plan. The majority of transport emissions come from road vehicles with 55 per cent of all domestic transport emissions coming from cars. In contrast, public transport is much more energy efficient and sustainable - less than five per cent of the UK’s transport emissions come from rail and buses. Rail freight is also significantly more sustainable and produces around 76 per cent less Carbon Dioxide than the equivalent road journey. RMT is clear that there needs to be a massive shift from private vehicles to public transport if the UK is to meet its carbon reduction targets. Yet, after decades of privatisation, our public transport networks are fragmented, expensive and prioritise shareholder profits rather than passengers. Recent RMT research found that the UK’s private rail operators and rolling stock companies could stand to make a massive £500 million in profit from Covid-19 Government bailouts. Instead, we need an affordable, accessible, integrated, comprehensive and sustainable public transport network. In the union’s response to the DfT’s ‘Call for ideas’, RMT made the case for why public ownership is the only way this can be achieved. Taking our public transport networks into public ownership, would allow them to be run as an essential public service, ending the profiteering of the private sector once and for all. A recent report from the Climate Assembly, made up of members of the public, found very high levels of support for public ownership, with 75 per cent of members believing that public transport should be brought back under Government control. A key recommendation of the same report was that ‘improving public transport’ is essential for decarbonisation. We know that Covid-19 has created additional challenges for the sector. By October, car usage across Britain had returned to around 85 per cent of pre-Covid levels, whereas national rail and tube usage was between 30-35 per cent of pre-Covid levels and bus usage around 55-60 per cent. HGV road vehicle levels have been regularly exceeding 100 per cent of pre-Covid levels. It is vital that the crisis does not permanently lead to more people using cars instead of sustainable public transport. This would increase carbon emissions and worsen air quality. So, to prevent Covid- 19 contributing to another public health crisis, RMT believes we need a ‘New Deal’ for public transport. Under a New Deal, the government must massively expand transport operating subsidy, capital investment and capacity to make rail, bus, passenger ferry and metro services more frequent, affordable, attractive and safer to use. This can be paid for by borrowing at record low interest rates and making all RETURN: Traffic jams re-appeared last month as car usage across Britain had returned to around 85 per cent of pre-Covid levels, whereas national rail and tube usage was between 30-35 per cent. RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december 2020 :: RMTnews DECARBONISING THE TRANSPORT SECTOR RMT makes the case for a sustainable, affordable and accessible network in public ownership