An investment in public transport is the right direction of travel

Several years ago Big Issue created the Breakthrough scheme. We wanted to address the lack of opportunity in journalism for younger people who might not have considered this as an option, or who had been locked out due to ongoing socio-economic barriers. 

Journalism has a growing class problem. This has been known for years. A major report published in late April, from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, confirmed so much that had already been touched upon. A key finding was that just over 70% of journalists working in the UK came from a privileged background – as defined by their parents’ occupation. And while the parents’ occupation was not down to the individual trying to make their way, it did show that social mobility was not working in this trade. 

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This is something of a reflection of the time. Thirty years ago, there were many more titles, a good number of which had training schemes, meaning there was much more opportunity. The local news network was strong and a great way in – and one that offered chances in smaller towns. 

As that dried up, and titles concentrated in major areas, opportunities became limited, work experience required parental financial help and circles tightened. The lack of representation also, ultimately, leads to a lack of wider perspective, damaging for the industry and damaging in wider society if this was the prism. 

Our Breakthrough scheme was a bid to do something about all this. We focused on providing opportunities for young people who had been out of work or education, or from less affluent areas. We made sure those coming through were paid properly during the time they spent with us, and we also looked after travel costs.

We knew that the cost of getting to and from a place of work could be prohibitive for many, particularly if there was a need to shell out in early days, or if there were multiple journeys due to problems with public transport reach. This travel payment was an essential help for those who came through. 

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It’s why the news of the government’s upcoming £15.6 billion investment in public transport networks and infrastructure, particularly outside of London, should be widely welcomed. 

According to the Treasury it doubles investment – in projects from Sunderland and Bristol – over the next five years. We will need to delve into the reality of the figures, but it does show a positive policy shift. 

Public transport systems outside of major urban hubs, and sometimes even within them, come up short. 

A couple of years ago, to illustrate this, our senior reporter Greg Barradale travelled from Ilminster to Nailsea in Somerset – from England’s worst-connected public transport town to one of its best-connected towns – to get a picture of the problem. His report says a lot about the shameful decline the last government allowed in the transport networks.

The Labour government insist their key focus is promoting growth in the economy. Capital projects that encourage, and help, people to move and work are a proper step forward. It’s worth noting here that Scotland offers free bus travel to anyone under 22 in the country. This is something that should be considered in England, and something we at Big Issue have campaigned for. 

The timing is interesting, the announcement coming as it did a few days after would-be opposition leader Robert Jenrick made headlines with a home video of him running after fare dodgers like Alan Partridge cosplaying Ross Kemp. 

Jenrick is not stupid, though. He knows that challenging petty crime, such as avoiding paying for travel, taps into a sense of fairness in many people – they pay so why should somebody else get away with it.

But it misses a wider point. If there is an increase in this sort of crime, why? Is it because the country has gone to the dogs – which Jenrick OBVIOUSLY would fix, tout bloody suite – or because people have less money and so maybe are just a little short. They might need to get to work, but don’t have exactly enough on a particular day.

This isn’t to excuse but if we don’t try and understand, and repair, underlying issues then we’ll all be in checked shirts shouting ‘mate’ at strangers forever more.

An investment in public transport is an investment to help. It won’t solve everything, but it’s the right direction of travel.

Paul McNamee is editor of the Big Issue. Read more of his columns here. Follow him on X.

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