| Founded | 1972 (as Transport 2000) |
|---|---|
| Area served | United Kingdom |
| Focus | Transport |
| Method | Political advocacy |
| Website | www.bettertransport.org.uk |
The Campaign for Better Transport (also CBT, formerly Transport 2000) is a UK advocacy group that promotes better bus and rail services and for supportive policies and for less expenditure on road building.[1] It draws together the views of a wide range of organisations including conservation and environmental groups, community groups and trade unions and operates as the Campaign for Better Transport Ltd, of which Michael Palin is the president, and as the Campaign for Better Transport Charitable Trust (a registered charity) of which Jenny Agutter, Steve Norris and Tracy Marchioness of Worcester are patrons. Stephen Joseph is Executive Director.
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Transport 2000 was formed in 1972 by various railway workers' unions and environmental pressure groups as a reaction to a newspaper disclosure that one of the options in a report for the Department of the Environment was the possible closure of a large part of the rail network. The National Union of Railwaymen instigated a meeting with other concerned parties where they agreed to form Transport 2000 with 14 affiliated organisations, many of which are still associated with the organisation[2][3].
Michael Palin was appointed as chairman in 1986 and then as president in 1988, the same year that Stephen Joseph was appointed as Executive Director. Joseph received an OBE for "services to transport and the environment" in 1996[4].
In 1998 Transport 2000 was part of a coalition of organisations which jointly launched the Slower Speeds Initiative which campaigns in favour of traffic calming, lower speeds and better enforcement of existing speed limits.[5] Although a founding member, the organisation now focuses less on speed reduction in favour of other campaigns.[6]
In 2006 The Times reported that Michael Palin was facing moves to oust him as president because of his passion for long-distance air travel. They calculated that he had flown more than a quarter of a million miles in the previous 17 years while making his six TV series.[7] The organisation denied any such suggestion saying "Michael Palin brings popular appeal, wisdom and a sense of proportion to the transport problems we as a society face today"[8]. The Daily Telegraph also covered the story in their motoring section, initially claiming that over half of the organisation's funding came from the bus and rail sector, but then correcting the figure as 20%.[9]
In 2007 the organisation changed its name to Campaign for Better Transport and re-focused its campaigns and appointed Rebecca Lush as 'Roads and Climate campaigner'. Lush was a long-time roads campaigner and founder of Road Block, an organisation which supported local groups that were resisting road schemes and which became a project within the organisation at the same time.[10] In 2008 Richard George was appointed to cover Lush's role during her maternity leave; George had previously been Campaigns Coordinator at CTC, the national cyclists' organisation and had co-founded Plane Stupid in 2005.[11]
Since its relaunch in 2007, the organisation has focused on three major campaign areas[6]:-
Promotes improved and more affordable bus and rail services, pointing out that many are unsatisfactory and do not offer a viable and attractive alternative to the car.[12] It offers a range of specific measures to improve bus[13] and rail[14] services.
Campaigns for reduced traffic in the areas where people live, shop and visit citing improved health and wellbeing.[15] Advocates that streets should be prioritised for pedestrians and cyclists, promotes initiatives that reduce car use and speeds (mainly in builit-up areas), and for reduced numbers of lorries.[16]
Challenges transport schemes with high associated climate change emissions by offering less carbon intensive alternatives to further road building[17] and to the growth of aviation and associated expansion of airports.[18] The organisation works both at the national level and also supports local groups.
The organisation in a member of the 'Freight on Rail' partnership.[19]
CBT is affiliated to the following organisations: Amicus, Association of Community Rail Partnerships, Bus Users UK, Campaign to Protect Rural England, Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales, Civic Trust, Community Transport Association, Campaign for National Parks, Cycle Campaign Network, Cyclists Touring Club, Environmental Transport Association, Friends of the Earth, GMB, Light Rail Transit Association, Living Streets, National Council on Inland Transport, National Federation of Women’s Institutes, National Trust, Railfuture, Ramblers' Association, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, SERA, Sustrans, Town and Country Planning Association, Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust, WWF-UK, UK Noise Association and Youth Hostels Association.
Its income was £900,000 in 2006-2007, coming from charitable trusts, transport operators, transport authorities, trade unions and individual donors[20].
CBT acknowledges the following organisations as sponsors of its limited company:[20] ACIS, Arriva Passenger Services, ASLEF, Chiltern Railways, Ecology Building Society, EWS, Eurostar, First Group, Freightliner, Gloucestershire County Council, Go Ahead Group, Hertfordshire County Council, Lush Ltd, National Express Group, NedRailways, Network Rail, Nottinghamshire County Council, Passenger Transport Executive Group, Rail Freight Group, Railway Industry Association, Railway Forum, Reading Borough Council, RMT, Serco Integrated Transport, Stagecoach, Telford and Wrekin Borough Council, Transport for London, Transdev plc, TSSA and Unison and Unite-Amicus.
CBT acknowledges the following organisations as sponsors of its charitable trust:[20] Department for Transport, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Freshfield Foundation, George W Cadbury Charitable Trust, Gumby Corporation, Hillcote Trust, KeyMed Ltd, London Councils, Merseytravel, Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation, Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts and Steel Charitable Trust.