The group, which includes leading experts from the world of transport, industry, finance and academia, will identify the biggest hurdles facing the introduction of mass transit systems across the UK and how to overcome them.
Mass transit encompasses networks of trams, light rail and high-frequency buses that move large numbers of people quickly across towns and cities, and has transformed urban life in places like Greater Manchester, Nottingham, the North East and the West Midlands. These systems connect people with jobs, homes, public services and opportunities, while cutting congestion and carbon emissions.
The Bus Services Act, which became law in October 2025, marked a new era for bus travel – making it easier for local authorities to take control of routes, protecting passengers from sudden cuts and lifting the ban on councils running their own bus companies.
Currently, factors like planning processes, fragmented funding arrangements and difficulties in acquiring land get in the way of delivering these systems, and the taskforce will seek to overcome these by identifying practical reforms to planning, financing and delivery models, and making targeted recommendations to government.
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