The Conservatives' £4.2bn funding pot for public transport heavily criticised

The Tories say they will invest £4.2bn of new spending on local train, bus and tram services if they are to win next week’s general election on December 12.

The cash would become available from 2022, and will apparently help to fund transport outside of the capital.

However, rival parties Labour and Liberal Democrats deemed it a pack of lies, describing it as “pathetic”.

The Conservatives have received a lot of criticism to its transport service pledges, particularly outside London and are said to be higher throughout the North of England.

Grant Shapps, secretary of state for transport, said this ‘boost’ could “kickstart buses and trains and contactless smart ticketing.”

The investment would be going to eight mayoral or combined authority areas across England.

They are said to include: the North East, Tees Valley, West Yorkshire, Sheffield City Region, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Midlands and the West of England.

Local authorities would have to bid for the cash, but would also be expected to put money towards schemes on their own terms.

Projects that might get funded include: Upgrades to the Tyne and Wear Metro system, and extensions to the Metrolink tram system in Greater Manchester. A new ‘national bus scherme’ is also said to have been promised.

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