Focus of work
Transport Action Network’s (TAN) purpose is to support people and groups pressing for more sustainable transport in England and Wales. This involves fighting cuts to bus services, particularly in rural areas, and opposing damaging road schemes, both strategic and local. They also offer help to those faced with large car-based housing developments.
In addition to individual support, TAN is also enabling change at a national level by challenging the Government’s road building plans, legally and politically, and in the national media.
Impact
TAN has provided support to many people and groups since it launched, responding to hundreds of queries. They have provided campaign and tactical advice to road campaigners, helped them find sources of funding and expertise. They also helped a bus campaigner in her fight to seek justice for her local community that had its bus services cut with inadequate replacements.
TAN has also set up regional transport networks to bring campaigners together in the regions to help them share information and tactics and to grow their influence at the regional level.
Through its national networking and legal challenges they have put road building back on the map. Other environmental organisations and transport professionals are now regularly attacking the money being spent on road building and in particular the £27 billion on the second Roads Investment Strategy (RIS2).
Media
- Campaigners take legal action over £27bn UK road-building scheme, The Guardian, 21 April 2020
- Legal Bid Launched To Stop U.K. Government’s £29 Billion Road Building Plans, Forbes, (21 April 2020)
- Study: Government road building programme could wipe out carbon benefits of electric vehicles, the i (10 July 2020)
- Climate change: Road plans will scupper CO2 targets, report says BBC 10 July 2020
- £27bn roads plan in doubt after Shapps overrode official advice, exclusive with The Guardian (11 February, 2021) and front page of paper edition.
- Climate Change: Government may review road-building policy BBC News 12 February 2021
- Carbon emissions from England’s roads plan ‘100 times greater than government claims’, exclusive with The Guardian, followed up by Sky News (6 & 7 April 2021)