Council boss urges discussion on future of Leeds transport

THE Leader of Leeds City Council has invited everyone in the city to “join in the conversation” on the future of transport in Leeds following the government’s decision to turn down the proposed New Generation Transport (NGT) scheme for Leeds.

Cllr Judith Blake made the call as the next phase of the biggest-ever discussion on transport strategy held with residents, businesses and visitors got underway this week.

An online survey can now be filled in, which seeks information on how people currently use the transport network in Leeds, and how they view the experience in terms of comfort, value for money and the time involved in making journeys.

It also asks those taking part to give their views on what priorities should be in terms of future investment in the network and any other suggestions on possible improvements.

The survey was launched following the government’s decision to turn down the proposed New Generation Transport (NGT) scheme for Leeds in May, but with £173.5m of funding for the scheme being retained to invest in transport in the city.

Following the decision the council hosted a transport summit in June attended by leading transport bodies and key stakeholders, and now the council says it wants to hear the views and ideas of as many people, organisations, communities and groups as possible to help shape future key decisions.

Cllr Blake said: “Transport is a fundamental issue that everyone in Leeds will have a view on as getting around our city and beyond is something we all do on a daily basis. So I want to invite everyone in the city to join in the conversation about what they think of transport in Leeds now and what we need to do in order to make it the best it can possibly be in future.

“Connectivity in terms of having an effective and integrated transport network is absolutely essential to the future growth of our city as an attractive place for people to live, work and visit. It is also crucial in encouraging businesses to want to invest here creating vital new jobs, so we need to listen to all views and ideas and then when decisions are made they must be the right ones for everyone in Leeds to benefit from.”

The survey is now live and will run until September 20.