Our fifth birthday

Five years ago, Transport Action Network (TAN) was started because no other national organisation was providing local communities with a broad range of support on transport. Bus services were being decimated, many felt it too dangerous to walk or cycle and money was being diverted into road building.

TAN has now grown from one to a small team of six. Spread across England and Wales, from large cities to rural villages, we share a passion for creating a healthy, sustainable future with everyone having a choice in how they travel. We’ve also had some great help and advice from others.

Some of our highlights from the last five years include:

• Supporting and championing the Welsh Government’s trailblazing transport policies
• Being prepared to take risks, such as challenging the cuts to active travel (walking, wheeling and cycling)
• Putting road building in the spotlight with our legal challenge to the roads programme (RIS2) and empowering people across the country to press for change, including holding two great conferences
• Forcing the Government to review the National Policy Statement for roads (although the result was disappointing!)
• Appearing at two consecutive Transport Select Committee inquiries and having much of our evidence included in their final reports

Our supporters have been vital to our success.

Of course, it hasn’t been easy. In recent years we’ve spent a lot of time dealing with politicians more keen on stoking culture wars and promoting conspiracy theories. Trying to have sensible conversations in those circumstances has been difficult.

TAN started four Prime Ministers ago, when Theresa May was in charge. We hope the recent election will bring some stability. But we also hope that we can start to follow the science and review the roads programme, and prioritise investment in public and shared transport and active travel.

While a new Government provides us with a chance for change, we have been around long enough to know that we cannot rest on our laurels. We are going to have to continue to make the case for change, both in the things the country does and what we invest in.

Help us to make the most of the opportunity the new government has given us. To create a better world for the sake of our children and grandchildren. They deserve better.

A big thank you to all those already supporting us and who have helped make our first five years so successful. If you are not one of our current supporters, please consider setting up a small monthly gift and help make the next five years even better.