Decarbonising rural transport

The overall strategy for transport decarbonisation is contained in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan (TDP), published in July 2021. The plan contained a number of commitments for decarbonising all forms of transport, including delivering:

• A world class cycling and walking network in England by 2020.
• The National Bus Strategy’s vision of a transformed bus industry and a green bus revolution.
• A zero emissions fleet of cars, vans, motorcycles, and e-scooters.

This plan applies to England only, with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and Northern Ireland Executive responsible for decarbonisation as a devolved issue.

The TDP did not cover decarbonisation of rural transport specifically, but instead commits to support that will be provided for decarbonisation innovation through the ‘Future of Transport: Rural Strategy’ (described below).

The TDP highlighted the issue that people living in rural areas require different solutions and that research has shown that they are less receptive to exploring non-car travel modes. This makes the uptake of electric vehicles, active travel and public transport particularly important issues for decarbonisation in rural areas and are discussed below.

Overview of rural transport policy

In November 2020 the Department for Transport (DfT) launched a call for evidence on the Future of Transport: rural strategy. It stated that the opportunities from innovation could be different in rural areas, which may necessitate a different approach to that taken in urban areas, recognising the different population structures, travelling patterns and geography with the following important features:

• People living in rural areas are, on average, older
• In rural areas, cars are used more often and for longer trips that in urban areas
• Active travel is more common in urban areas than rural
• Aspects of geography, such as islands or mountainous terrain can limit the number of routes in and out of some rural areas.

A summary of responses to the call for evidence was published in September 2021. It stated that the most frequently raised issue was the level of car dependence being too high in rural areas and a high number of respondents identified the lack of transport options in rural villages and towns being an important cause of social isolation. Many respondents commented that unless the Government acts to shape how innovation takes place, rural areas will be left behind, with a call for proactive Government intervention through the range of levers available, such as regulation, funding and setting out a clear strategic vision.

EV infrastructure and Investment

In July 2021, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published the report Building a comprehensive and competitive electric vehicle charging sector that works for all drivers. The report highlighted the potential risk of ‘charging deserts’ with remote locations, like rural areas, lacking the business case for commercial investment in rapid en-route charging. The CMA recommend that governments consider targeting funding gaps in areas which may not otherwise be served.

Taking Charge: the electric vehicle infrastructure strategy, published in July 2022, it is stated that there is an expectation that chargepoints will ultimately be commercially attractive in a mix of rural and urban areas. The Government acknowledged that poor grid connectively may also be an issue in remote areas. There are no specific policies directed at rollout of chargers in rural areas, with public charging provision primarily left to the private sector to decide on chargepoint locations. However, £500m is being invested through the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, with £50m of this earmarked for supporting local authorities to work out their specific local challenges and plan accordingly.

Active travel infrastructure and uptake

In the Government’s Gear Change: A bold vision for cycling and walking strategy published in July 2020 it is acknowledged that there is no “one size fits all” approach to the policy and standards around walking and cycling, with different levels of provision being appropriate for different places, both within and between local authorities. The strategy states that more will be required from all local authorities, urban and rural, but the main focus is on medium-sized towns, larger towns and cities.

Rural public transport provision

In March 2021 the Government published its Bus Back Better: national bus strategy for England. It is acknowledged in the strategy that rural areas are more dispersed, with low density populations, making it more of a challenge in providing bus services.

Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) are one of the most important elements of the strategy, with the expectation that all local transport authorities (LTAs) would publish these by October 2021, before the Government allocated funding to LTAs for the delivery of the plans. The plans should include coverage of the full area of an LTA, taking account of differing parts of that area i.e. ensuring that all areas, including rural and more isolated ones, were included.

In April 2022 the DfT announced that 79 LTAs submitted BSIPs and 34 of these would receive funding of £1.153bn between them for delivery. The Government did not provide an explanation as to why these LTAs were chosen over others. However, the Campaign for Better Transport subsequently provided analysis of these decisions in their report Funding local bus services in England. This analysis showed that LTAs that tended to miss out on the funding were more rural unitaries or larger councils with more dispersed populations and smaller teams dedicated to public transport. The report added that more rural authorities or those with smaller transport teams have continually struggled to apply for and win funding from competitive pots.

The other important element in the Bus Back Better strategy intended to support rural bus services is demand responsive travel (DRT). DRT can offer a more personal, on-demand service, taking people closer to their doors than a regular service. Before the strategy’s publication the Government had already established a Rural Mobility Fund to trial more DRT services, with funding of £20m for 17 pilot projects.