The current disruption to travel services caused by snow highlights the government's failure to invest in transport infrastructure, the Green Party claims today.
A lack of provision for extreme weather means that the UK transport system has been overwhelmed by the recent heavy snow, with thousands of people stranded, and Christmas travel plans disrupted.
The snow is one in a long list of problems facing road users. The price of petrol has reached record highs, roads are increasingly congested, and carbon emissions from the transport sector are continuing to rise. These problems are all set to worsen.
The Green Party argues that the never-ending misery for travelers highlights the need for a shift towards funding a more reliable public transport system. This would go some way towards addressing the travel chaos caused by snow, and keep the UK moving during bad weather.
If public transport is to be a real alternative to road travel, new rail and bus routes need to be opened and existing ones improved. The reliability of trains needs to be improved, and exceptional weather factored into design.
The Greens would like to see massive investment in public transport, in order to improve rail and bus services. This investment would have many economic and social advantages, including job creation, safer streets and improved air quality.
The Green Party claims that this investment must begin immediately, if a repeat of the current travel chaos is to be avoided.