Transport Minister Robert Goodwill attended the launch of the newly strengthened Midlands Connect Partnership today, Thursday 22 October 2015, to hear plans for a long-term transport strategy to help unlock economic growth in the region.
Research from Midlands Connect has found that improving transport links to speed up journey times across the Midlands could boost the economy by more than £1 billion a year, create 300,000 new jobs and save businesses nearly £500 million.
The government has provided Midlands Connect with £5 million to take the new regional strategy forward.
Transport Minister, Robert Goodwill said, “In addition to the massive investment the government is making in our transport infrastructure, we want to help regions across the country to make their voices heard on how their transport networks are run. We know that good transport doesn’t just help people get around, it helps them get on and these are key components of our long term economic plan to boost jobs and growth.”
