'Nearly £2 billion' announced for infrastructure to ensure Britain can 'bounce back' from coronavirus

"Nearly £2 billion" of extra spending has been allocated to fund infrastructure projects to ensure the UK can "bounce back" from the coronavirus crisis, the transport secretary has announced.

Grant Shapps, speaking at the government's daily Covid-19 press conference, said he wanted to "put our transport infrastructure in the best possible shape" so the economy can grow as the UK slowly lifts lockdown restrictions.

He said it was a "civic duty" for people to avoid using public transport, to allow more space for key workers who need it.

He said agencies had been "getting busy" by making use of quiet roads and railways during lockdown to make huge improvements to the national infrastructure.

He said during lockdown 419 Network Rail projects were completed over Easter and 1,000 upgrades during the May bank holiday.

He urged people to cycle or walk to work, but said if that is not possible, and people have access to a car, then "please use it".

He said journeys would be smoother after £1.7 million was spent on improving local roads and filling millions of potholes.

And, to further help people relieve pressure on public transport, he said there had been a "big expansion" of charging points for electric cars.

He said this will help the country "lock in the dramatic air quality improvements we’ve experienced during the coronavirus lockdown".

He also pointed to £2 billion which had been set aside to put cycling and walking "at the heart of transport".

He said as "tentative steps" are made to restart the economy, "it is clear that transport has a critical role to play".

"To make sure that Britain is ready to bounce back from coronavirus today I can announce nearly 2 billion pounds to upgrade our roads and our railways," he said.

Mr Shapps said the Government was working with local authorities on parking places in towns and cities, after being asked if charges and restrictions could be scrapped.

He told the press conference: “There are times now where we are literally encouraging people to drive perhaps close to, but maybe not right into perhaps, a town or city that they work in and find a place to park.

“So we are working not just with local authorities on this but also with some large entertainment venues who have car parks which aren’t being used at the moment.”

There was widespread criticism of public transport when restrictions were lifted on Wednesday, with commuters complaining they were forced to cram into packed trains and busses as they attempted to return to work.

Despite social media users sharing videos online showing how busy their routes were, Downing Street said there had been no “significant” increase in public transport use in London in response to the lockdown easing.

Transport for London (TfL) said the number of passengers using the London Underground on Wednesday from the start of service to 6am was up by 8.7% compared with the same period last week.

But the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said: “TfL is not reporting significant increases on the London network this morning compared to the last few days.”

Meanwhile, the government is in discussions with London mayor Sadiq Khan over a “funding and finance package” for Transport for London (TfL), Downing Street has said.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said Cabinet was briefed on Thursday about the negotiations, which were at an “advanced stage”.

Mr Khan has warned TfL will have to reduce services if it does not receive further funding by the end of today.

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