Responding to a call today by research and policy organisation Centre for Cities for a change in the way the Government provides transport funding, Metro Chairman Councillor Chris Greaves said,

“Results from the city’s largest ever transport research project ‘Transport for Leeds’ show clearly that if we are going to prevent congestion restricting the scope for Leeds’ and the City Region’s recovery following the economic slowdown, we need to start tackling congestion now, whatever the source of funding.

“We are using the Transport for Leeds results to develop a model that shows us where congestion will grow and what effect it will have, which will enable us to draw up a package of targeted, congestion-beating measures,” he continued. “After further consultation with local people, will be submitting them to the Department for Transport next year.

“Whatever funding mechanism is in place, the results speak for themselves,” he continued.

“We need Government investment to help us tackle the danger that increasingly clogged roads and overcrowded trains will prevent Leeds from continuing to prosper and realising its full potential to boost the UK economy.”