Minister says transport department’s new motto is ‘move fast and fix things’

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh told civil servants she wants to ‘change the way our country runs’.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh met civil servants in the Department for Transport for the first time in her new role (Tejas Sandhu/PA) (PA Wire)

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has said her department’s “new motto” is “move fast and fix things”.

Ms Haigh declared she wants to “change the way our country runs” as she met civil servants in the Department for Transport (DfT) for the first time in her new role.

The Labour MP for Sheffield Heeley said: “It will take all our effort but the new motto of our department, our purpose, is simple: move fast and fix things.

Growth, net zero, opportunity, women and girls' safety, health - none of these can be realised without transport as a key enabler

Louise Haigh, Transport Secretary

“Our department is so clearly central to achieving the missions for Government that the Prime Minister has committed us to.

“Growth, net zero, opportunity, women and girls’ safety, health – none of these can be realised without transport as a key enabler.

“And that’s why our legislative plan is so ambitious. It’s why our programme for change is bold.”

Ms Haigh said the DfT will “focus relentlessly” on improving performance on the railways and introducing “much-needed rail reform”.

Labour’s “ambitious plans” – which include bringing all services into public ownership as operators’ contracts expire – will be implemented “at pace”, she pledged.

The Transport Secretary said she is “proud” to be “obsessed with buses” and will “give local leaders the tools to deliver better bus services”.

This will include giving local authorities in England more power to franchise bus services by removing barriers that mean only metro mayors can currently do this.

Under Ms Haigh’s leadership, the DfT will “think about infrastructure and services together at every turn”, and will also ensure “travel across modes is easier”, she told staff.

The minister added that “greening our transport networks” should be “the critical thread weaving through every priority”.

Labour has committed to reinstate the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans.

At 36, Ms Haigh is believed to be one of the youngest ever serving female cabinet ministers in a UK government.