Travel and transport includes our personal travel as well as the transportation of goods and services. It includes active travel (walking and cycling), public transport, shared mobility schemes as well as private vehicle use.
Transport services and issues across the South-East Wales region and beyond are interconnected and interdependent. Therefore, it is essential in addressing transport challenges across Caerphilly County Borough that we work in collaboration with our neighbouring Local Authorities and partners at a regional level with local delivery where possible.
The net zero carbon ambition for transport focuses on addressing emissions through three broad areas of mitigation:
Travel and transport is responsible for 156 ktCO2e accounting for 33% of Caerphilly County Borough’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Addressing this challenge will require a combination of changing our behaviour, legislation and technology. Our personal travel, as opposed to goods and services, accounts for around two-thirds of all transport emissions. Transforming how we travel provides the opportunity to create wider benefits for our health, safety, finances and enjoyment of public space.
Cars are the main source of transport emissions accounting for 51% (80 ktCO2e). Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) account for 17% of emissions (26 ktCO2e), despite only accounting for 4.7% of mileage, this is due to their higher emissions intensity(gCO2e/km).
In the County Borough, 0.17% of vehicles are electric or hybrid, lagging the Welsh average of 0.26%.
The County Borough benefits from robust north south public transport links, facilitated by the Rhymney Valley and Ebbw Valley railway lines. The M4 motorway is easily accessed from the south of the County Borough connecting it to the cities of Cardiff and Newport, and the A465 (Heads of the Valleys Road), A470 and A472 help connect towns from east to west into Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent.
My wife and I both use the train to commute to work daily: yes, cancellations and delays happen, but after so many years, I can say it works well most of the time.
There is a high level of out commuting, associated with employment opportunities in Cardiff. The County Borough sees a high reliance on private vehicles with many journeys across the valley being longer and less convenient via public transport. 74% of households in the area own cars, with an average of 1.16 cars per household, close to the national average of 1.17.
Nowadays we always have the flexibility of working from home when needed.
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board highlight their approach to promoting greener travel and engage with staff and patients:
ABUHB have signed a charter with leading Welsh organizations to encourage sustainable travel among staff and visitors, aiming to improve health, reduce air pollution, and cut carbon emissions. ABUHB support the Gwent Healthy Travel Charter, promoting walking, cycling, and public transport. Recognising that 82% of people in Wales are concerned about climate change, with transport emissions identified as a major cause. ABUHB are committed to making a difference with staff and patients.
Staff are advised of the co-benefits of cycling and walking to work, which include reduced risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, falls, and improved well-being. ABUHB have worked with the local authority who provide bus services to hospital sites for staff and patients, including an electric bus service to the Grange University Hospital and the Fflecsi demand-responsive bus service from Transport for Wales. There is future opportunity to use hydrogen buses, after the successful introduction in Swansea, Pembrokeshire and Neath.
Additionally, ABUHB have partnered with the Liftshare app to facilitate car sharing among staff, installed electric vehicle charging points across hospital sites, and have developed agile working spaces to reduce excessive travel.
The Department for Transport (DfT) published its Decarbonising Transport – A Better, Greener Britain in 2021. It identified six strategic priorities:
This will be developed by:
Regional transport policies have been developed to align with the shared vision and priority objectives of Welsh Government’s Llwybr Newydd (the Wales Transport Strategy), the National Transport Delivery Plan, and net zero Wales. Various other national, regional and local strategies and plans have also informed their development.
At the heart of delivering these policies is the use of the Sustainable Transport Hierarchy to prioritise sustainable modes of transport, where new infrastructure or improvements to existing infrastructure is needed.
Nowadays we always have the flexibility of working from home when needed.
Interventions will help to alleviate the impact of transport on the environment through prioritising zero emission vehicles, charging infrastructure and sustainable transport options as a real and competitive alternatives to fossil fuel vehicles.
I got my step count up and saved the planet; win-win.
Travelling by car is essential for some people and is likely to remain the case. This may be due to mobility impairments, work patterns or the need to transport bulky or heavy goods. For many people, the only realistic option when making convenient family-life choices is travelling by car. To encourage people to move away from single occupancy cars, the public transport network and other sustainable travel options require a major transformation so that they offer realistic, attractive and competitive alternatives.
CCBC fleet is identified as a critical area in achieving net zero targets. A strategic methodology has been developed to address this. The entire fleet is being reviewed in line with this methodology to ensure it is utilised to maximum effect, reducing both costs and carbon emissions. The review looks at the time each vehicle in is operation, the size of the vehicle and the Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) available as alternatives to combustion engine ones.
Data-driven decision-making plays a central role. Data on vehicle mileage, usage patterns, parked locations and timeframes are examples of data items that are essential to understand the needs and opportunities. Charging locations are surveyed and assessed, with support from various initiatives, including the CCR Challenge Fund.
Infrastructure development has been divided into phases. Fleet information, vehicle tracking and telematic data, along with data analysis tools and data modelling are used to build a timetable for transitioning fleet vehicles to ULEV, rolling out the necessary infrastructure.
This addresses strategic themes: sustainability, operational efficiency, and innovation. Reducing emissions and optimising fleet usage supports sustainability. The focus on data-driven decision-making and infrastructure development enhances operational efficiency. The transition to ULEVs and advanced data modelling demonstrates commitment to innovative solutions.
To provide residents and visitors with access to sustainable and affordable transport options to enable safe, healthy and equal communities across the County Borough.
Travel demand reduction: Using less energy to meet our transport requirements starts with reducing the need to travel. This should include the promotion of remote working, the use of local shops and services and planning new housing/workplaces for easy access to services. For essential journeys we should consider using active travel (walking and cycling), buses and trains, or shared mobility schemes including car share. We need to fly less often, especially in situations where there are alternatives, such as travelling within Great Britain where coach or rail are practical alternatives.
Modal shift. Increased public transport and active travel: In line with national ambitions to reduce car usage, improvement of public transport links is critical across the County Borough, particularly in the east-west direction. This should include improving walking and cycling infrastructure and incentivising public transport to be cost efficient and more attractive than co2 heavy alternatives. Car share parking at major road hubs, would really help car sharing initiatives.
Technology and the uptake of zero or low-emissions vehicles: Private vehicle use will continue. For these, electric vehicles will reduce energy demand and, linked to the decarbonisation of the grid, will reduce CO2 emissions. It is important that petrol and diesel vehicles are not just swapped for electric vehicles without considering alternatives because electric vehicles still place demands on natural resources. Interventions will help to alleviate the impact of transport on the environment through prioritising zero emission vehicles, charging infrastructure and sustainable transport options as real and competitive alternatives to fossil fuel vehicles.
At the heart of delivering these policies is the use of the Sustainable Transport Hierarchy to prioritise sustainable modes of transport.
Work have been great; salary sacrifice for the bike, showers on site when I get in. It’s quicker than the car.
Collaboration and partnership, involving local communities, education providers, local transport providers, major employers and accessibility representatives will be essential.
Shifting towards cleaner and greener and more sustainable forms of transport requires:
Indicator | Baseline | Notes |
A reduction in total CO2e emissions from travel & transport | 244.7 ktCO₂e | Local Authority territorial greenhouse gas emissions estimates 2005-2022 (2022 data). |
% reduction in private vehicle mileage | TBC | Mechanism for baseline data collection within RTP |
% of vehicles that are ultra-low emission vehicles | 1.8% Cars | DVLA Licensed Vehicle Data Q4 2024 |
An increase in publicly accessible electric vehicle charging points | 75 publicly available charge points | 2023 NCR Register |
An increase in the use of public transport | TBC | Mechanism for baseline data collection within RTP |
Delivery of the Regional Transport Authority ULEV Transformation Programme includes:
Chargepoint Network for Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) – under Phases 1 and 2 of this programme EV charging facilities were installed at 185 sites (370 charging sockets) across the region. Within Caerphilly Borough, the Council has 40 public charger devices in operation.
The proposed Caerphilly County Borough Interchange is expected to transform the way people travel to and from Caerphilly County Borough – connecting people with trains, buses, taxis and active travel options through an integrated transport hub.