Comment: The South East’s transport system is holding our community back

By Jess Brown-Fuller MP

This week, I hosted a Parliamentary debate in Westminster Hall on Transport in the South East. Across Chichester, transport disruption is a constant inconvenience. It is an issue that comes up time and again on the doorstep. Residents are frustrated with a system that fails them, whether on the roads, the railways or local bus services.

The A27 is one of the busiest trunk roads in the country, and the main arterial route along the south coast. For my constituents, it is essential for getting to work, accessing healthcare, and keeping our local economy moving. Yet congestion and long-standing capacity issues mean it regularly grinds to a halt, with traffic spilling into surrounding villages and causing chaos on roads never designed to cope with it.

One particularly acute pressure point is the Fishbourne Roundabout. National Highways have agreed to fund a study into this junction, and we will receive the report in the spring. This roundabout desperately needs addressing. It is dangerous, stressful to use and, without intervention, I fear it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident.

Jess Brown-Fuller MP is taking real action on the South East’s transport situation.

The infrastructure upgrades necessary on the A27 have been an ongoing discussion for decades. I took the opportunity in the debate to press the Roads Minister for a concrete commitment that the A27 will be high priority for investment in the next Roads Investment Scheme. Do I believe the problems we face locally will be addressed soon? No. But I will keep pushing for government support.

Rail services are also falling short. Chichester is not endowed with services that are quick or affordable. Last year, one in five Southern Rail trains arrived in Chichester late, despite the cost of a season ticket to London being close to £8,000. This is simply not acceptable.

Liberal Democrats have long called for a freeze in rail fares, so we were pleased when the government took that step last year. But affordability alone will not fix a network plagued by poor reliability and outdated infrastructure.

Bus services are also a vital part of the transport mix, particularly for those without access to a car, or for those who don’t want to be part of the congestion! The increase in the bus fare cap from £2 to £3 has had a significant impact on the affordability of bus travel.

If the government expects the South East to sustain such an increased level of development, residents need to see the investment in transport infrastructure too.

See Jess Brown-Fuller's opening speech on transport in the South East at Westminster Hall.