Further priorities include changes to the management of the local highway network, creation of a national strategy for transport and efforts to improve road safety, as well as going further with high speed rail.

Industry groups have been setting out their key asks of Ministers in submissions to the spending review, which is expected to publish this autumn. This comes after plans for an Autumn Budget were scrapped recently due to Covid-19.

CIHT has identified five key priorities for the review, including refocusing transport to become an enabler to achieve net zero. It urges guidance to be developed for how planning and transport should be better integrated to achieve sustainable outcomes, including recognition of the opportunity to embed active travel.

The Institution also calls for the Government to manage the local highway network differently including making changes to transport appraisal, ensuring appropriate maintenance and creating healthier places.

A further priority is the creation of a national vision and strategy for transport to provide clear focus for the sector on how to plan and invest for the future. Developing plans to improve skills and competence within the highways and transportation sector will be important in delivering this strategy, it adds, while a long term plan is also urged for reducing road casualties, including the reintroduction of targets.

CIHT chief executive Sue Percy said: “Transportation is critical to economic performance and productivity and addresses many of the Government’s key policy areas including carbon reduction, health, and inclusion. In making these recommendations, we are also highlighting that we want to work with Government to deliver on these key areas.”

The Institution has also contributed to a submission by the National Engineering Policy Centre, published today. The group represents 43 professional engineering bodies.

It says the spending review must include support for innovation – especially where it aims to achieve net zero emissions, resilient infrastructure and digitalisation – and also calls for focus on addressing long term skills challenges, including through a national workforce planning strategy.

It also urges the incentivising of offsite manufacturing for new projects, investment in broadband and 5G technology and increasing Innovate UK’s budget to support more investment in research and development.

“It is a crucial time for Government to take practical actions to help the economy recover,” said Royal Academy of Engineering president Sir Jim McDonald, adding that the actions proposed “reflect the level of UK engineering expertise available to address the challenges of developing the UK’s transport infrastructure, energy supply and digital networks to deliver an inclusive, sustainable economy”.

Meanwhile the Urban Transport Group has warned that city bus and tram services could face deep cuts, pressure to raise fares or even temporary closures without continued support from the Government to mitigate the impact of Covid-19, which has seen passenger numbers plummet.

A report that forms part of the group’s submission to the Comprehensive Spending Review predicts that public transport demand is likely to remain well below pre-pandemic levels for some time. In a worst case scenario, this could see patronage returning to just 65% of previous levels by the end of 2021.

“If we are to meet the current and severe challenge of the pandemic, and ultimately build back better from it, then we need to seize the opportunity provided by the Comprehensive Spending Review to transition to enhanced, stable and long term funding for urban transport,” urged Urban Transport Group director Jonathan Bray.

The group also encourages upgrading the powers of city region transport authorities to be more in line with those seen in London.

The High Speed Rail Group has also submitted proposals to the Comprehensive Spending Review, calling on the Government to commit to exploring how best to connect Scotland to High Speed 2.

(Photograph: Jag_cz - Shutterstock)