Tackling rural mobility challenges has the potential to bring several long term benefits to the region
Bringing together the best and brightest minds to tackle complex policy challenges
To tackle the most difficult challenges facing transport today, we have launched a Regional Strategy Hub bringing together experts to give insight into key policy issues for our region. An independent body supported by Transport East, the Hub will formulate recommendations for complex transport issues to influence local government and national transport policy.
The Regional Strategy Hub will focus on complicated issues for transport. It will facilitate open and robust discussion from multiple expert points of view and set out how to tackle problems at a regional level.
The first inquiry topic for the Strategy Hub to consider is rural mobility. We have opened a Call for Evidence into this topic.
Call for Evidence
The call for evidence on rural mobility is open until 12th July 2023. Please complete our survey if you have evidence, insight or direct experience of using, interacting with, planning or delivering transport services in rural and rural coastal communities. If you represent or work with people who rely on rural transport services, we would also like to hear from you.
EXTERNAL LINK: smartsurvey.co.uk/s/RuralStratCfE
The evidence gathered will be analysed to form a report to the Transport East Forum, with recommendations to progress at a local, regional and national level.
Why rural mobility?
In the East, two-thirds of rural communities in the region– around 600,000 people - live in a transport desert, areas without access to alternative transport other than private vehicles. Tackling this and other rural mobility challenges has the potential to bring several long term benefits to the region including better access to jobs, training and essential services, greater prosperity, environmental improvements and increased quality of life.
The work of the Strategy Hub will inform our newly created Rural Mobility Centre of Excellence. The final report will provide a set of recommendations for the Transport East Forum and be sent to the Department for Transport among other priority stakeholders.
The strategy hub forms a key part of our work in identifying and understanding the transport needs of our rural areas. There has been much research and policy direction on transport in urban areas, but rural transport has been left behind. This call for evidence will enhance the evidence to inform national and regional policy direction.
- Sharon Payne, Regional Rural Transport Lead, Transport East
Commissioners
The Committee is comprised of experts throughout the East, each with knowledge and insight from their respective field of work. It consists of a Chair and several other Committee members.
Chair: Dr Scott Copsey
Committee members:
Candy Richards: Federation of Small Businesses
Caroline Whitney: Community Transport Association
Jack Eagle: Transport Planning Society Eastern region
Nick Khan: East Suffolk Council
Pete Waters: Visit East of England
Rik Martin: Community Action Norfolk