Chris Grayling used his first Conservative party conference as Transport Secretary to speak of the important role technology will play in the future of travel and to pledge financial support to the devolution ambitions of the ‘Midlands Engine’.

 

But he failed to give any firm indication of the Government’s thinking as to where a new runway should be located in South East England. He simply said that there is “a big decision to take around airport capacity” and that a new runway will signal that “Britain is open for business” in the wake of the Brexit vote.

 

“There is a transport revolution on its way; it will change the way we travel,” he told delegates in Birmingham on Monday. “Driverless cars are the future and will make a big difference to the lives of the elderly and the disabled. It will also mean a better use of roads and safer motoring.”

 

He said that a Modern Transport Bill early next year will pave the way for the development and use of driverless technology. He added: “I want to say to the motor manufacturers of the world: come here as we have the skilled workforce and this Government will support you.”

 

For the Midlands Engine he said that £12M will be made available over three years to help the region keep up work to develop its transport plans to 2020.

 

Chris Grayling paid tribute to his predecessor Patrick McLoughlin and remarked: “I’ve always wanted the job of Transport Secretary; a job that makes a real difference to people’s lives every single day. If things work it is great and if they don’t, I get the emails.

 

“I want to make sure we really do have a transport system that works for everyone. My first instruction to my team was that everything we do has to help the travelling public. If it doesn’t help the movement of goods and people, we shouldn’t be doing it.”

 

He remarked that Britain’s transport system, while not perfect, is “better than it used to be” but added that there is “an awful lot to do” to sort out congestion on the roads and overcrowding on the railways.

 

Chris Grayling reiterated Government’s commitment to High Speed 2 and said the whole country will benefit from the project, even for those who never take a train on the new railway. A rail commuter who does not use HS2 will benefit from capacity being freed up on their line, he said, and motorists are set to see better journeys as more freight is transferred from road to rail.

 

(Photo: DfT)