Government has failed to provide leadership on surface access to airports, says Transport Committee

The government’s failure to take a clear lead on integrated transport planning is a major obstacle to better surface access to the UK’s airports, suggests the House of Commons Transport Committee.

The MPs have conducted an inquiry looking at surface access to UK airports with one million passengers or more per annum. The report on their investigation urges government to set out an integrated transport plan that connects airports across the country, boosting regional access and economic development.

The MPs believe that poor surface access restricts growth, adversely affects passenger experience and forces airport users, local commuters and airport employees to choose transport that exacerbates environmental concerns.

The report states: “Government, local authorities and airports need to do more to encourage modal shift from private vehicles to public transport, particularly rail. The Department for Transport should have a strategic plan for modal shift across the Strategic Road Network that underpins the development of national transport networks as well as airport Surface Access Strategies.”

The Transport Select Committee report on surface transport to airports can be found by clicking here

The inquiry revealed what the MPs feel is a lack of leadership on strategic planning. The committee says: “Government should take the lead in identifying and realising the economic benefits of improved surface access around airports. Where there is compelling evidence that airport expansion would act as a catalyst for significant local, and in some cases national, economic growth, the necessary support and coordination should be provided."

While Heathrow and Gatwick were not the key focus of the inquiry, the MPs state that the lack of a decision over airport capacity in the south-east means that it is difficult to see how regional airports fit into the national picture. 

Launching the report, Transport Committee chair Louise Ellman MP says: “Our inquiry highlights the failure to develop an integrated approach to transport planning, from the absence of a decision on airport expansion in the South East, to the lack of a clear plan to upgrade our rail infrastructure which effectively links cities and airports across the north. 

“Without a vision for the country, local areas and regional airports cannot be expected to deliver their own plans effectively. When a decision is finally made about airport expansion in the south-east, this must be accompanied by a clear plan to optimise connectivity between regional transport hubs across the country. This will provide much needed national coherence on transport planning matters.

The devolution agenda has the potential to improve local planning and economic development, says the committee.

Network Rail and Highways England must also play their part, with the MPs believing the way in which these agencies prioritise airport access schemes is vital to allowing local areas to plan and develop effectively. “Whether by road or rail, people should be able to choose forms of transport that deliver on ease of travel as well as environmental grounds,” says the committee.

The respective roles and responsibilities of the National Infrastructure Commission, Transport for the North, combined authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships must also be clarified. The MPs believe that this is particularly important to ensure that advances such as integrated ticketing, can be implemented for the full benefit of passengers.

The report concedes that public transport is not always a suitable, or available, option for travel to and from airports. 

“Passengers with large amounts of luggage and those with reduced mobility may still rely on private modes of transport,” the MPs say. “Moreover, some customers show a preference for using private transport despite it having the greatest relative impact on traffic and congestion, and so on air quality and carbon emissions.”