The Campaign for Better Transport, a charitable trust, has warned that the predicted massive cuts to local transport funding likely to emerge from the Spending Review, could harm the ability of cities to reduce dependency on the car.

Research by the Trust, which is the UK’s leading authority on sustainable transport, has revealed the extent to which people are dependent on cars in major cities. It suggests providing sustainable transport choices would be a solution, creating a greener and less congested urban environment.

Using a Car Dependency Scorecard with data from 17 different sources it has ranked 19 cities in England. The Scorecard reveals that the best cities for giving people real transport choices are Nottingham, London and Brighton and Hove. The worst for dependency on the car are Milton Keynes, Peterborough and Luton.

Stephen Joseph, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport said: “Our report shows that for many people, car use is not a matter of choice but is due to other options just not being available. Factors such as lack of local facilities, poor public transport or bad conditions for cyclists and pedestrians can mean that people are reliant on a car, with congestion and pollution the result.”

He added: “There have been improvements in many cities, but cuts in government spending, for instance support for local bus services, could harm these. City authorities must also make sure that they prioritise their remaining funding on sustainable forms of transport and ensure that planning policies protect local shops and services.”