The Department for Transport’s (DfT) Aviation Policy Framework (March 2013) advises that all airports in England and Wales with more than 1,000 passenger air transport movements a year should set up an area transport forum (ATF). The primary purpose being to encourage partnership between airport operators, local authorities, Passengers Transport Authorities, transport operators, local people and businesses and other interested parties, to improve public transport access to airports and reduce reliance on private, road-based transport, congestion and pollution on nearby roads.
The primary role of the forums is to serve local communities through;
- identifying short and long-term targets for increasing the proportion of journeys made to airports by public transport;
- devising a strategy for meeting these targets; and
- overseeing implementation of the strategy.
SATF was set up in 1999 to establish a partnership approach to improving surface access to and from the airport. By looking at transport issues in an area-wide context, the airport has developed an integrated approach to transport initiatives that has yielded many benefits.
Our regional partners have identified a series of transport investment priorities, designed to support and stimulate economic and housing growth and to improve access to Stansted Airport. These are:
- Agree on short and long-term targets for increasing public transport mode share.
- Devise a Surface Access Strategy for meeting targets which is incorporated in Local Transport Plans and Regional Transport Strategy.
- Oversee and monitor the implementation of Airport Surface Access Strategy.
- Reduction in the rail journey time between London Liverpool Street and the airport for the Stansted Express.
- Development of the regional bus and coach network to introduce or enhance services to Colchester, Cambridge, Peterborough, Haverhill, Ware, Hertford, Enfield, St Albans, Watford, Ipswich, Epping and North London.
- An improved frequency and journey times on the CrossCountry rail service (to Cambridge, Peterborough, Leicester and Birmingham).
- Trial the introduction of electric, hydrogen or hybrid vehicles operated on the bus and coach network that serves the airport.
- Continue to monitor areas of suspected off airport fly parking and as agreed with the Transport Forum, provide kick start funding to local authorities for the introduction of parking restriction schemes to prevent off airport passenger parking