The Department for Transport has given the Isle of Wight Council an encouraging “thumbs up” on the way it is improving transport on the Island.

Assessing the Councils progress on its delivery of its five year Local Transport Plan (2006-2011), the council has been told by Government that it was demonstrating good progress in all four priority areas – accessibility, congestion, air quality and environment & road safety.

The council was also praised for its work both with the IW NHS in developing development of a joint Workplace Travel Plan and also in Island schools, over 70 per cent of which now have approved School Travel Plans.

Government also noted the increasing number of people using bus services and the contribution made to that by the council support of the concessionary bus far and Student Rider schemes. Government however recognised the challenge was now to maintain and build on this

Government said Council efforts to increase road safety, were well thought-out and balanced and concluded:

“This is encouraging progress, which has been achieved by the very effective deployment of limited resources across an impressively wide range of activities.

“The main challenges will be to maintain progress on delivering sustainable transport options in the context of the maintenance PFI and schools reorganisation, to align the transport targets and programme with your Local Area Agreement (LAA) and ECO Island.”

The assessment from the Government Office of the South East in the council’s half-term report of its progress against the LTP was welcomed by Cllr Tim Hunter-Henderson, IW Council cabinet member for environment and transport.

“A lot of good work has gone in first to developing the LTP and then to making sure its aims and objectives are met. That we are making good progress in all areas of the plan is good news because this is an area that local residents view as a high priority.

“One reason for this success has been our decision to commit considerable investment in transport schemes – investment that will continue in the period up to work on the Highways PFI that will see the entire road, pavement and footpath network brought up to an acceptable standard.

”I am particularly pleased that our ongoing efforts to improve road safety have been recognised.”

The Council’s Local Transport Plan and associated Progress Reports and other transport documents are available on the Council’s website at www.iwight.com/transport.

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