Link takes me to News but not a story?

EDIT sorry, on phone with train WiFi and image hadn't loaded when I posted

Public Transport is environmentally efficient. It clumps people travelling together, so saving space in terms of limiting infrastructure need reducing urban spread. It makes economic and equality sense on major 'flows', allowing those who cannot or prefer not to drive to get around independently, and saving on vehicle, energy and parking costs.

In Melksham, we have come hugely forward in public transport provision in recent years. But we still have unconnected individual modes and routes, some infrequent services with gaps, and a lack of joined up information and fares. It is getting better.

A strategy of main bus routes to neighbouring towns, local buses within the town, and trains to regional centres, all connected for total journeys, makes sense and has 'de facto' started to fall into place. Good. Trains and buses have improved over recent years. The Neighbourhood Plan includes the requirement to consider, and indeed help fund, transport hub connectivity and availability of local service infrastructure for developing housing.

I have travelled a great deal of late, observing how people get around by public, private and sustainable transport from the inner suburbs of London to the Lofoten Islands above the Arctic Circle. Much good practice seen and many lessons learned, and the good news is that we here in Melksham, Wiltshire, can and should learn from elsewhere, adopting within our strategy - inclusive of walking, cycling and access for all for total journeys.

There are wider considerations here such as 'do we need to travel' and continuing to positively meet travel and transport requirements where private individual powered provision remains and always will remain optimum.

Want to know more? Here in Melksham, take a look at the Melksham Transport User Group and the Melksham Environment Group. And please feel free to get in touch with the author of this article to help with current local travel information.

Graham Ellis on behalf of Melksham Environment Group – info@mkmeg.org.uk