My vision for transport: Mayor launches biggest listening exercise in a generation

The Mayor of the East Midlands has launched the region’s biggest listening exercise in decades – a 12-week conversation to shape a bold, new, 15-year transport vision. 

The East Midlands Local Transport high-level vision document explores the Mayor’s objectives to make travel across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire easier, cleaner and better connected. It marks a major step forward for inclusive growth – linking people to jobs, skills, education and opportunity wherever they live.

Residents, businesses and community groups are now being invited to take part in the Mayor’s Big Transport Conversation, to help shape the development of the full Plan. 

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said: “For too many people in the East Midlands, life doesn’t work because transport doesn’t work. When buses don’t turn up, roads are full of potholes or trains are too expensive, it affects work, education, healthcare and family life.

“I want public transport to be an easy and affordable choice for everyone. I want communities connected to one another, not just to large cities. And I want our roads and infrastructure to be maintained to a high standard.” 

“That is how we will make life work for everyone, connecting communities, supporting business, reducing inequality and helping the region grow fairly.”

Six fights for a fairer, better-connected East Midlands 

The Mayor’s plan is built around six key “fights” that reflect what matters to her the most. Now the Mayor is inviting the region to share their views on what a modern, fair and affordable transport network could like in the years ahead.   

1. Fighting congestion
   No one has a favourite traffic jam. Congestion means pollution, frustration and lost time – a daily barrier to work, productivity and wellbeing. The Mayor wants to hear how important you feel it is to tackle congestion and what local solutions could work best in the face of ongoing traffic growth.
2. Fighting for young people’s independence
   Many families spend their days as unpaid chauffeurs. A fair transport system should give young people safe, affordable, independent travel – helping them reach education, training and social opportunities.
3. Fighting for connected communities
   Town and city centres must be joined by better links to the places where people live and work. Schools, hospitals and major employers should be accessible without relying on shuttlebuses – the Mayor wants to hear what improvements are needed to make this possible.
4. Fighting for reliable public transport
   When a bus is full before it reaches your stop, when services are patchy or unreliable, everyday life becomes harder. The plan aims to map and fix these gaps so every community has dependable, affordable options.
5. Fighting for better roads
   Drivers and cyclists alike have zero tolerance for potholes. Poor-quality roads damage vehicles, safety and confidence. The Mayor is asking how much of the transport budget people want to see invested in fixing roads relative to other transport improvements.
6. Fighting for safe and clean bus stops
   The signpost of the community but if they’re unlit, without customer information and in need of repair, they can be a barrier to people using a bus service, especially in rural areas. The Mayor wants to know what residents need from their bus stops to make them more appealing.  

The Mayor said: “I’m ready to fight for the improvements that will make the East Midlands a fairer, greener, better-connected region. Some things will take time, but others can change quickly if we focus our efforts in the right places.”

A transport plan built around people

The Mayor’s Local Transport Plan focuses on three long-term goals: 

1. Making public transport easier to use and better value for money;
2. Providing more real travel choices that reduce car dependency and connect every community;
3. Upgrading and maintaining highways to ensure they are reliable, safe and resilient. 

For the first time, the Mayor now has the power to plan transport as one joined-up network, bringing buses, trams, trains, walking and cycling routes together across the region. 

The Plan sets a clear direction for billions of pounds of investment to deliver a transport system that drives fairness, growth and sustainability, supporting thriving businesses, strong communities and clean, connected places to live.

The Mayor’s Big Transport Conversation runs from 17 November 2025 to 8 February 2026.  Visit our webpage to have your say and be part of building a better-connected East Midlands.