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Transport

The transport system in this country makes it slow and expensive for us to get from 'A' to 'B'. There is too much traffic on the roads, trains are expensive and overcrowded, and buses are too few and far between, particularly in the countryside. Liberal Democrats believe buses and trains should be affordable and reliable so people can have a real choice about how to travel. That's how we can cut pollution and make it easy for people to leave their car at home.

Only the Liberal Democrats have costed plans to put the passenger first, with plans for a rail renaissance, reopening closed railway lines and new stations and building a High Speed Network to cut journey times to Scotland and the north of England. We also want local people to have a say on bus fares and routes in their area. We want to cut the number of lorries on our roads to reduce congestion and cut exhaust fumes.

Only the Liberal Democrats have been honest with the public about exactly how we will pay for our public transport improvements and High-Speed Rail. Our Future Transport Fund will provide ring-fenced funding for the improvements that future generations need if we are to cut our carbon emissions. These plans will shift freight from road to rail, cut carbon, and improve mobility as the rail network begins to run out of capacity.

The Liberal Democrats believe that the aviation industry shouldn’t get special treatment and must cut emissions just like the rest of the country. Air pollution is already terrible around Heathrow airport and expansion will only make matters worse.

We will reverse Labour plans to expand Heathrow Airport and oppose Boris Johnson's proposals for a new airport in the Thames Estuary. Unlike the Conservatives we oppose all airport expansion serving London and the South East and so would block expansion at Stansted and Gatwick as well.