Responding to the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, Robert Colvile, Director of the CPS, said:
‘The Government is right to pursue more flexible ticketing policies, especially in the light of the pandemic. However, the commitment to ‘new opportunities for innovators’ must include not only preserving but if possible expanding scope for competition within the system.
‘In particular, there have been alarming suggestions that the Government will seek to eliminate ‘duplication’ in terms of open access competition on trunk lines, a policy suggested by the Centre for Policy Studies and endorsed by a Competition and Markets Authority investigation as resulting in lower costs and higher quality services for consumers and taxpayers alike.
‘Overall, Britain’s railways have improved dramatically since privatisation – now is not the time to take a retrograde step.’
Date Added: Thursday 20th May 2021
