Passengers and drivers should be able to travel seamlessly across Britain without the need to juggle multiple tickets or apps. This is the key aim of the Better Connected national transport strategy, which seeks to make everyday journeys simpler by making it easier to pay for and more reliable from door to door. The Department for Transport envisages contactless tap-and-go travel becoming the norm across buses, trains, and trams in cities and towns across England. Local leaders will be given the tools to replicate joined-up systems currently in place in areas like Liverpool, London and Nottingham. Drivers will benefit from the expansion of the National Parking Platform, allowing them to use any parking app across participating car parks, ending the frustrating experience of having to download a different app each time. Traffic and technology priorities in the Better Connected strategy are: The strategy has a strong focus on technology, with contactless ticketing, data and innovation playing a key role. The government has announced a new partnership with Google, allowing passengers across England to track their bus in real-time through Google Maps. The service will be especially useful for passengers in rural areas where bus services are less frequent. Better Connected features a ‘Mini Switzerland’ pilot in the Peak District’s Hope Valley, backed by £6m of government funding. Taking its name from best practice in European rural areas, the trial will test more frequent, reliable rural bus services timed to connect with arriving trains to support local communities and tourism. The government is also publishing new local transport plan guidance, giving local leaders clear blueprints for building joined-up transport, making the most of their funding and boosting local growth. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said: “For too long, getting from A to B has been more complicated than it needs to be.