Be it catching the train to work, riding the bus into town for shopping or hopping in the car to take our children to school we all rely on transport in our everyday lives.
Ever since I was selected to stand as MP for Maidstone and the Weald 11 years ago, campaigning to improve our transport systems has been a top priority. I am pleased that in that time, thanks to the commitment of our local authorities and other community champions, we have seen improvements including: better facilities on our trains, significant alterations to the town centre road network and the creation of the Maidstone School Bus Liaison Committee; which means problems in school transport are addressed before they cause major disruption.
However, as anyone who endures the one-way system or catches the train into London everyday will know; there is so much more we can do. We must, for example, continue to fight for the introduction of a regular, direct City Service from Maidstone East and to protect our high-speed service from Maidstone West. We must also find a sustainable solution to Maidstone’s congestion. Piecemeal improvements will not fix this; we must invest in serious infrastructure to keep abreast of the challenges in the long term.
Improving our transport connections will always be high on my agenda. However, to make sure I am reflecting the views of my constituents, and to help me make the most robust case I can to those who hold the purse strings and make the decisions, I need to hear more about your experiences.
With this in mind, I will be delivering a transport survey to residents in the coming weeks. The survey will also be available in my constituency office at Maidstone East so please do pop by to collect one. It would be great to hear from you and learn more about your experiences of transport in our town.