The Potential of New Transport Powers under Greater Manchester’s Devolution Settlement

Abstract

Transport policy sits high on the devolution agenda in Greater Manchester. Of the many big ticket items in successive devolution agreements, transport stands out both in terms of the powers devolved and the funding attached. Through the newly constituted Transport for the North body it sits at the heart of the broader ‘Northern Powerhouse’ agenda. The pre-eminence of transport in the devolution agenda is justified. A more comprehensive and evolving transport network can enhance life in city-regions; it has the potential to underpin environmental sustainability, public health, social inclusion and economic growth. But the argument for transport devolution is not premised simply on transport’s importance. There is a strong and coherent argument for devolution of transport powers in order to plan, invest and manage an integrated and coherent transport network. Crucially this is something which cannot be left either to an unregulated market, or a centralised state, and which local government is ideally positioned to deliver.