Why is it that the Government has still not got a grasp on transport needs in Yorkshire? - Yorkshire Post Letters

So Mr Rishi Sunak is going to give the North of England £2.5bn to spend on new infrastructure projects; so that Yorkshire, Lancashire, Humberside and Cumbria can have the same level of public transport facilities as the rest of the Country.

£2.5bn will probably pay for two cycle tracks in Newcastle and a branch line between Skipton and Colne, at today’s prices.

In the North of England, we have major cities without metro systems; bus routes that don’t interface with railway services; narrow bridges and level crossings which cost businesses and residents endless delays and an airport at Manchester that people in North Yorkshire can only reach via Leeds. Oh, and more potholes than Blackburn.

Our only motorways are the M6/M74 and the M62, with the A1(M) stopping at Newcastle and the M65 stopping at Colne. Sort out the electrification of the Transpennine rail route between Leeds and Manchester. Upgrade the A1(M) to Berwick. Upgrade the A66 to motorway standard.

Build the new platform at Manchester Piccadilly. Build the Skipton to Settle bypass. Complete the SusTrans cycle route from Skipton to Settle, and allow regular train services from Hellifield to Clitheroe. Stop building houses around Harrogate until you have

sorted out the services to sustain them.

I understand that the Government cannot solve all of these issues overnight, but we have had more reports and surveys than the NHS and more Transport Ministers than Italian Prime Ministers.

Do you remember Alistair Morton at the Strategic Rail Authority (1998-2005)? Read his rail strategy for the North of England.

One of the Mayoral candidates for North Yorkshire is doing yet another infrastructure survey with Rt Hon Julian Smith MP. Why doesn’t he know what the issues are?

Given that he is the MP for Richmond, Mr Sunak should know what the public transport issues are that we have in the North of England (does he have a bus pass?).

Initiate some of these issues before the General Election and we might just vote for you.