Ed Balls, the former Shadow Chancellor, gave the keynote speech at Gatwick’s Transport Forum
- Forum helps create an integrated approach to transport provision across the region
- Discussions included how the transport sector can collaborate and innovate to reach the Government’s target of achieving net zero carbon emissions
- Audience hears how Gatwick now gets 44% of passengers and 43% of staff to the airport by public and other sustainable forms of transport
LONDON, UK, 2019-Oct-16 — /Travel PR News/ — Ed Balls, the former Shadow Chancellor, gave the keynote speech at Gatwick’s Transport Forum on Friday.
The event designed to create an integrated approach to transport provision across the region and around 150 transport service providers and manufacturers, local authority transport officers and community representatives attended.
The audience received updates on major projects, including the M23 Smart Motorway upgrade, plans to redevelop Gatwick’s train station and initiatives to promote shared transport services and electric vehicles.
Gatwick also issued a call for redoubled collaboration and innovation between the airport and the region’s transport providers to ensure the transport network will be “net zero emissions ready” in line with the Government’s 2050 target.
The airport has a commitment to provide sustainable travel choices and reduce the environmental impacts of journeys to and from the airport and highlighted its target of getting 48% of passengers to the airport by public transport by 2022.
It also announced that 44% of passengers were already using public transport – 38% by train and 6% by bus or coach – and that 43% of staff commute to work using sustainable forms of transport.
Ed Balls, former Shadow Chancellor, said: “Airports are a cornerstone of our economy, contributing new jobs, business relationships and tourism. I am delighted to attend Gatwick’s Transport Forum and fully support its aim of creating a truly integrated regional transport system so that passengers can get on and off the airport as efficiently and easily as possible.”
Emma Rees, Head of Real Estate and Surface Transport, Gatwick Airport, said: “As an airport we are determined to increase sustainable travel options by supporting transport initiatives that help to improve the environment.
“For example, we recently completed a £3.8 million upgrade to improve the quality of our bus facilities and we will start work on a £150 million upgrade to our train station, both of which will encourage more passengers and staff to use public transport.
“The Transport Forum is a great way for us to discuss these and other exciting initiatives. By having so many of our partners in one room, the event also helps us create a truly integrated approach to transport provision across the region.”
About Gatwick Airport
Gatwick is the UK’s second largest airport. It serves more than 230 destinations in 74 countries for 46 million passengers a year on short and long-haul point-to-point services. Gatwick is also a major economic driver and generates around 85,000 jobs nationally, with 24,000 of these located on the airport.
Since May 2019, a new long-term partnership was formed with VINCI Airports who purchased a 50.01% stake in the airport. This partnership sees Gatwick Airport integrate into the network of VINCI Airports, the leading private airport operator in the world, which manages the development and operation of 46 airports across the globe. Served by around 250 airlines, VINCI Airports’ network handled 240 million passengers in 2018 – including traffic at London Gatwick. VINCI Airports develops, finances, builds and operates airports, leveraging its investment capability, international network and know-how to optimise performance of existing airport infrastructure, facility extensions and new-build construction projects.
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), which manages the remaining 49.99% interest in Gatwick, is an independent infrastructure investor that makes equity investments in high quality infrastructure assets in the energy, transport and water/waste sectors. GIP has US$56 billion of Assets under Management. Its 18 portfolio companies operate in over 50 countries with circa 54,000 employees and generate annual revenues of circa US$50 billion.
For more information on VINCI Airports please www.vinci-airports.com and for more information on GIP please visit http://global-infra.com.
Media enquiries to:
GATWICK AIRPORT PRESS OFFICE
+ 44 (0) 1293 505000
gatwickmedia@gatwickairport.com
Source: GATWICK AIRPORT
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