The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) has welcomed the prominence given to transport and infrastructure across political party manifestos ahead of the 2026 Senedd election. We are calling on all parties to commit to long term, evidence led transport policies that support communities, economic prosperity and connectivity across Wales.

Across the manifestos, commitments on road condition, public transport, bus reform, rail investment, active travel and road safety underline the importance of transport to everyday life in Wales – for both urban centres and rural and valley communities.

CIHT is a chartered professional body representing those who plan, design, build, operate and maintain Wales’s transport networks. Drawing on our professional principles on asset management, resilience, safety, decarbonisation and inclusive mobility, we have identified a number of priority actions for the next Welsh Government.

CIHT calls on Welsh political parties to commit to:

1. A long term, funded approach to road maintenance and asset management
   CIHT urges all parties to move beyond short term, reactive approaches to potholes and surface defects and instead commit to sustained, multi year investment in whole life asset management. Improving underlying structural condition, drainage and climate resilience will deliver better value for money, safer roads and fewer long term disruptions for users.
2. Transport investment that balances resilience, decarbonisation and affordability
   Manifestos should more clearly recognise the growing impact of climate change on Wales’s transport networks, including flooding, extreme heat and severe weather. CIHT is calling for transport investment decisions that explicitly consider climate adaptation and resilience, alongside decarbonisation goals, user affordability and long term public value.
3. Realistic, integrated alternatives to car dependency
   CIHT supports continued investment in buses, rail, fares reform and active travel, particularly in urban areas, but stresses the need for place based, integrated planning that aligns transport with land use and development. Policies must recognise that while car use must reduce overall, it will remain essential for many people living in rural and valley communities.
4. Evidence led road safety and speed management
   With road safety and the default 20mph speed limit featuring prominently in debates and referenced in several manifestos, CIHT is calling for clear national leadership on road safety, evidence led speed management and a renewed focus on the transport network as a place of work as well as movement.

CIHT commitment to delivery

Professional expertise will be critical in turning manifesto commitments into practical, deliverable outcomes.

Sue Percy CBE, Chief Executive, CIHT, said:

“The next Welsh Government will face difficult choices, but transport professionals are in a prime position to help turn ambition into reality. CIHT and our members in Wales play a vital role in planning, designing, managing and maintaining the networks people rely on every day. By working with government, local authorities and delivery partners, we can help ensure transport investment is evidence led, resilient, inclusive and delivers real benefits for communities across Wales – now and into the future.”

CIHT has consistently worked with decision makers and stakeholders to support the delivery of Wales’s transport infrastructure and is in position to continue this professional support.  that

CIHT has called on all Welsh political parties to work closely with the transport profession, using professional insight and evidence to ensure Wales’s transport network is safe, resilient, affordable and fit for future generations.

More detail on party transport related manifesto pledges is available below.

Welsh political party election manifesto pledges relating to transport