As the 2024 general election approaches, the major parties are eagerly trying to push their manifestos, but do you know how each party’s promises will affect you as a driver? We know it can be overwhelming to trudge through lengthy manifestos or even trust the politicians themselves (as our recent survey revealed), so we did the hard work for you!
We’ve pulled together the issues that matter to motorists into a comprehensive guide that could ultimately ‘drive’ your vote.
The Conservatives’ transportation manifesto proposes allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes at all times and restricting local authorities from profiting excessively from traffic enforcement.
They also propose a universal parking payment app and a ban on pavement parking, alongside ending the development of new smart motorways and enhancing the safety of existing ones.
The Tories are pledging a fund of £36 billion, drawn from savings on the recently scrapped Phase 2 of the HS2 project, to be used across roads, rail, and buses.
They also plan to reverse the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) by the London Mayor and propose local referendums for implementing new 20mph zones and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs).
Additional proposals include:
The full Conservative manifesto can be found here.
Labour have pledged that one million potholes across England in each year of the next parliament will be filled. The funding for this will be sourced by postponing the already-delayed A27 bypass project; a project Labour argues "offers poor value for money."
The Labour Party pledges to upgrade and support the Great British Railways. The party will focus on ensuring safe, accessible, reliable, affordable, and high-quality transport through the railway service. Mayors will play a significant role in designing these services within their regions and will promote the growth of rail freight. Additionally, a new passenger watchdog will be created to drive up service standards.
The party's plan also includes franchising local bus services and prohibiting municipal ownership of buses, granting local communities in England the authority to control bus routes and schedules.
Additional proposals include:
The full Labour manifesto can be found here.
The Lib Dems pledge to roll out more EV charging points, including ultra-fast chargers at service stations and residential on-street chargers. They also pledge to cut VAT on public charging by 5% and to have a pay-by-card payment option at all charging points.
Additional proposals include:
The full Lib Dem manifesto can be found here.
The SNP plans to reduce car usage by 20% by 2023, aiming to return to the mileage levels of the 1990s. Their emissions goals also include allocating £120 million to phase out the majority of fossil fuel buses in Scotland, replacing them with Zero-Emission Buses. They also hope to decarbonise Scotland’s rail services by 2035.
SNP will allocate nearly £20 billion for their infrastructure program aimed to enhance Scotland's transport network. As part of this budget, they have earmarked £5 billion for rail enhancements including the Aberdeen/Inverness line, the Highland Mainline and the Glasgow Subway. They also promise that Scotrail will transition to public ownership next year.
Additional proposes include:
The full SNP manifesto can be found here.
If elected, in the first 100 days of their appointment, the Reform UK party plans to halt what they are describing as the ‘War on Drivers.’
The party’s pledge to UK voters includes legislation to ban ULEZ and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods while also aiming to scrap Net Zero policies. This would eliminate the existing bans on petrol and diesel cars and remove the legal requirements for manufacturers to sell electric vehicles. However, they would maintain low-speed limits in critical safety areas (such as outside schools) but propose scrapping 20 MPH zones elsewhere.
Additional proposals include:
The full Reform UK manifesto can be found here.
Plaid Cymru will identify roads with a high number of accidents and work to make them safer. They also support a review of the 20mph speed limit to ensure it’s working successfully in reducing dangerous driving.
Plaid Cymru pledges to ensure Wales receives the £4 billion owed from the HS2 project, which would be used to reverse the cuts to local buses and improve all forms of public transport. The Older People’s Bus Pass in Wales would remain and a similar scheme for young people would be investigated to encourage them to use public transport. There would be a statutory duty on public transport companies to guarantee passengers' safety.
Additional proposals include:
The full Plaid Cymru manifesto can be found here.
Green MPs advocate shifting the transport system away from cars and roads to address the significant carbon emissions from private vehicle transport. They will reinstate the fuel-duty escalator and introduce road pricing with privacy protections while opposing all new road construction. The party aims to replace all petrol and diesel vehicles with EVs within a decade, supporting this with a vehicle scrappage scheme that would increase funding to £5bn per year by the end of the parliament.
Additional proposals include:
The full Green Party manifesto can be found here.
As the 2024 general election approaches, navigating the various party manifestos and their implications for drivers can seem overwhelming. We hope our breakdown has helped clarify how each party's policies could ‘drive’ your vote, emphasising the importance of being well-informed on issues that matter to you as you head to the polls.