Packed issue – but I’m saying that every issue now. Long may that continue.
It’s time to blow the trumpet for CoMoUK itself for a moment as the publication of the Government’s Better Connected strategy sees some statements in writing that we have not seen from previous UK governments. For example the desire to scale up shared mobility. You can read more on it below.
It has been a long cycle lane to get to this point so it is important to recognise this milestone and celebrate it. Pushing for points to be recognised and then seeing them accepted is highly rewarding and it’s great to be able to celebrate the contributions of CoMoUK and all in the shared transport movement here.
Does the Better Connected strategy go as far as we would like it to? Of course not. There are some really important missed opportunities – but we now have some much better building blocks in making the case as to why we need to see progress on those.
Also below are our efforts to see LZEV legislation in the King’s Speech, our latest case study on rail and a flavour of our work on AVs, with more to come on that topic.
Keep in touch,
Richard Dilks
Chief Executive, CoMoUK
News & insights 🗞️
Government’s Better Connected strategy launches
The strategy formerly known as the Integrated National Transport Strategy is here. We are welcoming the fact that it breaks some new ground in terms of Government’s backing of shared mobility, with aims to scale up shared mobility and specific references to all shared mobility modes and to mobility hubs.
The less good news is that there is no new funding or specific work programme relating to shared mobility. There are also some particularly acute absences of substance on lift sharing/car pooling and on mobility hubs as well as 13 missed connections where we feel shared should be (rather ironically) connected to other modes, for example rail.
This combination of forward and absent progress gives us plenty to be engaging DfT and other stakeholders with – which we will certainly be doing.
It emphasises the value of cuts in emissions that are achieved quickly (which shared mobility can certainly help further with, if given the chance) and how intertwined cutting emissions is with improving the affordability, health and resilience of our communities as well as the productivity of our economy. The report’s call for a national taskforce to be established to examine this potential is one we whole-heartedly endorse. You can read the report itself here.
Meanwhile, in March the International Energy Agency (of which the UK is a member) produced a report recommending lift sharing/car pooling as an obvious measure to lower energy demand and thus cut emissions. CoMoUK members Liftshare/Mobilityways have this report on how to take steps to do this, reporting that everyone who lift shares their journey to work saves an average of £1,000 per year.
We were pleased to be asked by DfT to authorise use of our shared e-scooter scheme map and we hope to see further trials opening in coming months, something we have long pressed for. In the meantime it is great to see Leeds get going and Brighton be announced.
We also hope to see the long-awaited legalisation of e-scooters via an announcement in the King’s Speech in May. The government has committed to legislate when parliamentary time allows, but trials have been running since 2020 and have now been extended to May 2028 with no sign of the long-term clarity that legislation would bring. Shared e-scooters have become an integral part of the transport system throughout the UK, providing millions of users access to affordable low-carbon travel. Despite this, operators and local authorities are stuck in limbo, limiting investment and constraining the ability of shared e-scooters to contribute to growth and to lowering emissions. When the government sets out its legislative agenda in the King's Speech, we hope to see them address this.
Finally, we’re happy to share that we’re taking on secretariat duties for the Micromobility APPG, which aims to discuss regulation in the micromobility sector, share good practice, and advocate for the safety of pedestrians and road users. We look forward to supporting parliamentarians to engage on shared e-bikes and e-scooters.
Shared transport and rail
Shared transport can be an excellent partner to train travel, helping people to cover the first and last mile of their journey to and from the railway station.
The best examples make it easy for passengers to switch from one mode to another by placing a car club or shared micromobility on station land, requiring operators and TOCs to work together to improve integration.
To celebrate that work, we've collected case studies from across the country of shared transport at railway stations. The arrival of GBR could bring new opportunities to integrate shared transport with the rail network - we hope to see an ambitious approach to this in the upcoming Long Term Rail Strategy.
Centre for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles consultation
The Centre for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles consulted this month on the development of the regulatory framework for automated vehicles.
As we see the arrival of robotaxis to the streets of London this year, our consultation response focused on the lack of clarity from the government on the role that automated vehicles will play in the transport mix.
We want to see a greater focus on use-cases that deliver social and environmental benefits, not least because the Better Connected strategy does not draw links between AVs and sustainable transport or shared transport. We also reiterated concerns from Disabled People’s Organisations relating to the accessible design of vehicles and the needs of individuals not in the vehicles. Automated vehicles are no doubt coming, and we will continue to make the case for clear thinking about their role in the transport system, and who will benefit from their introduction.
Newly accredited car club operator, Kendall Go
We are delighted to welcome a new accredited car club operator member in the form of Kendall Go, the car club offshoot of car hire firm Kendall Cars.
They are based in South West London and so mark a new operator for the capital at a time when it needs to significantly improve its provision of shared cars.
The (often overlooked) potential of suburbs is one aspect of our consulting work; the 'Decarbonising suburban transport – ways of thinking and acting' report by Jonathan Bray, funded by a Foundation for Integrated Transport fellowship, digs in to the potential and the issues and it’s great to see a prominent role for shared transport recommended. There is also a fascinating list of case studies which are well worth a look.
Events 🗓️
Shared Mobility Rocks 2026 - Vienna
5 May 2026
There is no event quite like SMR, taking place this year in Vienna on 5 May, where the theme this year is 'Time to Scale Up'.
A number of staff from CoMoUK have attended previous Shared Mobility Rocks and always enjoyed them and brought back useful insights.
Music festivals and transport conferences might not seem natural companions, but going to Shared Mobility Rocks might just change your view on that.
"Car club membership has helped us remain a non-car family in a built-up urban area. It gives us the flexibility to do out-of-town shopping when required as well as access other car-dependent infrastructure and services. It also helps with holidays and other leisure activities in areas not served by public transport."
Male user from Edinburgh, 55-64, Annual Car Club Report 2024
