Mayors should vow that nobody working in their city will have have to commute for more than one hour – IPPR North
Can the mayor control your commute? One leading think tank thinks so.
The new mayors of some of Britain's biggest cities should vow that nobody working in their region will have to commute for more than one hour by bus, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) is arguing in a new report out today.
IPPR North – a dedicated research group for the north of England – says the new wave of metro mayors, set to take office next year, need to deliver faster and more convenient transport.
From 2017, voters in multiple cities and surrounding areas, including Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Sheffield and the West Midlands, will be able to elect new mayors, who will have powers over transport similar to those of the mayor of London.
IPPR said the new mayors need to crack down on certain unbearable journeys, including in greater Manchester, where it takes more than two hours to travel by bus from the centre of Bolton, Rochdale or Bury to Manchester Airport.
“From next year, a new wave of these Metro Mayors will sweep England's cities – with London-style powers to invest fresh billions and make daily commutes quicker, cheaper and greener," said the report's author, Luke Raikes. "In the long-term, this could underpin stronger, more inclusive economic growth and prosperity for our major cities and the wider UK economy."