Over the last 13 years, our transport infrastructure investment has faltered and faded to almost nothing. The Conservative government has watched as bus and train franchise holders have offered an increasingly worse service across the country and in North East Hertfordshire.
A lack of local public transport built around the needs of communities massively impacts people's lives. It is the difference between someone of limited mobility being able to participate in their community or face social isolation. It affects those who need to access healthcare by getting to GP and dentist appointments. It forces those who can drive to rely on fossil-fuelled cars instead of being able to hop on and off easy to access public transport. Even getting from one side of North East Hertfordshire to the other is a tribulation without access to a car. And it's our rural communities who feel the gap in services most.
As your Parliamentary Candidate and MP, I will challenge the status quo and lack of meaningful investment in this essential public service. I will fight for public transport networks to be reinstated in our rural communities and our towns so that everyone has the opportunity to participate in our communities.