Portsmouth clinches £455,000 to create major transport improvement plan

Portsmouth City Council has clinched £455,000 from the government towards its £750,000 project to get motorists out of their cars.

The aim is to encourage healthy and sustainable travel, reduce congestion and emissions and ‘create a transport environment to support regeneration.’

The council plans to invest the money into a package of measures, including;

n Personalised journey planning - re-introducing on-street travel advisers

n Workplace travel planning initiatives - working with large employers to promote sustainable travel

n Travel to school - supporting Walk to School Week and running Scootability courses

n Supporting cycling and walking - better information, training, bike maintenance through the Bike Doctor

Newly-appointed Tory traffic boss, Councillor Jim Fleming, said: ‘It’s great that the council has won this money from the government, enabling the plan to go ahead.

‘This is a fantastic opportunity for us to deliver schemes which we know work successfully in Portsmouth to encourage people to walk or cycle.’

Portsmouth clinched the funding from the Department for Transport after the DfT invited councils to bid for a pot of money for walking and cycling initiatives, which would support sustainable travel access to jobs, skills, education and training.

It comes after Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt urged the local authority to bid for pots of money to make improvements to transport in the city.

She’s also led calls for the creation of a commercial vehicle park for workers to leave their cars at night.

Transport minister Robert Goodwill said: ‘Green transport cuts congestion and improves air quality.

‘It also offers the cheapest and healthiest way for people to access jobs and education.

‘Portsmouth’s green travel scheme will make a real difference for residents and help provide better air quality for everyone.

‘Our £21m funding across England shows we are committed to improving lives through investment in sustainable transport.’