Merseyside transport chief promoting MTP in Birmingham
Neil Scales, chief executive and director general of Merseytravel, is set to chair all key debates at the forthcoming ACT Travelwise Autumn Conference, being held in Birmingham on Thursday and Friday this week.
Scales will also share the strategy plans being outlined by the Merseyside Transport Partnership at the conference, the largest of its type in the UK.
Scales said: "Travel planning isn't just about sitting behind a desk and coming up with ideas that we hope will get people out of their cars and onto public transport.
"It's about getting out there, listening to people and acting to encourage people to think smart about how they travel.
"We are doing that really well on Merseyside and we are considered to be one of the UK's best areas for travel planning. It's important we share that but also identify other good practice taking place in the UK.
"We are trying to integrate all our various modes of transport, whether that be bus, train, car, cycle or by foot and we are coming up with new ways to do that, to suit our people, and our environment. These "soft measures" are equally as important as building new infrastructure.
"What we are not is a car free region, but neither can we allow a car free for all. Striking the right balance is vital."
The conference, titled Travel Planning – Ten Years On: Past, present and future, takes place at the International Conference Centre, Birmingham.
