The UK: A nation of two-track cities

The UK is a nation of two-track cities divided into those that have achieved dynamic economic growth over the past ten years and those who have not according to a new report out from the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR).

Maintaining growth, creating opportunities for all and encouraging the skills, knowledge and innovation needed to create dynamic cities was emphasised strongly within the paper. It suggests that cities lead the national economy, opposed to vice versa. There is a small mention on transport in the report, along similar lines to the IPPR’s agglomeration report published a couple of months back (See previous blog posting), the general gist being that better transport helps increase economic flows;

“Transport improvements and inter-urban cooperation can increase the economic benefits derived from proximity and density. Reducing travel times and increasing the frequency of transport services can produce agglomeration economies that can increase productivity in the city economy. This is particularly relevant for regional clusters of small or medium-sized cities and large towns, or where there is no dominant urban core”

Two Track Cities: The challenge of sustaining growth and building opportunity (July, 2007) p.11

Transport is an important aspect of keeping cities vibrant and it is encouraging to see that it is being included within a wider report on the issue of city economic development, albeit a small paragraph. Eddington views appear to have filtered into policy development to a reasonable degree giving hope that the UK can catch up on its infrastructure deficit in future years. Government response to this report has been rather defensive, but applause should be given to the IPPR for highlighting how equal economic development for all UK cities can be successfully secured.

 

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Climate change awareness gathers momentum

With Live Earth at the weekend and Carbon Footprint discussions becoming common place on prime time TV and Radio it maybe possible to say that the climate change awareness has come of age. Whether momentum and action on the issue can be sustained is a separate matter, but a whole host of websites containing advice and information about how to do your bit have emerged. Here is just a selection, which will be added to in time;

• www.together.com
• A scientific definition of the ‘carbon footprint’
• http://actonco2.direct.gov.uk/index.html

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B roads considered the most risky

On the back of the recent publication of the European Road Assessment Programme (EuroRAP) , which found a number of A roads to be the most risky, a new survey from Whatcar.com found that in fact people viewed B roads as more dangerous.

54% of respondents felt that they were at most risk of accidents on B roads in comparison to 33% on A roads. Motorways were rated as the safest roads with only 9% saying that they feared the highest accident risk on this type of road. Some roads are more dangerous, through poor design or inappropriate surrounding, but the road environment as a single cause of collisions only accounts for 2% of all accidents (TRL, 2005). The road user is much more responsible as a single cause -77% of the time - and 95% of all collisions involve some form of human error (TRL, 2005). Therefore safe and competent driving is much more important than road design, although there are still routes where problems should be designed out.

(Source: Whatcar.com)

* TRL (2005) Car Occupant and Motorcyclist Deaths 1994-2002 

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Car Insurance Group changes on the cards…

From January 2008 motorists will have 50 insurance groups to choose from when looking to purchase a car. This is more than double the existing 20 groups and is being changed to allow for more specific quotes and easy comparison. As a result some cars will become more expensive and some will become cheaper. The phase over to the new system will end in summer 2008.

Vehicle qualification for each group will be overhauled as part of this new scheme. The ease and cost of repair will remain strong considerations and the weight of vehicles will also be incorporated. 0-60mph acceleration speeds will be replaced with pulling power in comparison to weight to assess a vehicles performance.

On the surface such changes appear to give consumers a greater deal of choice when looking a purchasing a new vehicle, but on the flip side it is important that new groupings are fully explained to customers. Very few people are aware of the Vehicle Excise Duty Band that their vehicles are in (7 in total), fewer are aware of their insurance class and you can bet by adding additional bands that even more confusion will be added to the system. Cars are strikingly different and therefore 50 insurance categories make sense from this perspective. Lets hope that the categorisation, especially in weight terms, encourages more environmentally friendly and safe vehicles as part of a wider policy drive.

(Source: whatcar.com)

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Green cars on the rise

Greener cars are more prevalent than ever before according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) annual report on carbon dioxide and the new car market. According to the report more than five million tonnes of carbon dioxide have been saved in the last decade through the introduction of more fuel efficient cars.

Road transport accounts for almost one fifth of the UK’s man-made carbon dioxide output each year, but SMMT’s document shows that every vehicle made in Britain today requires half the energy for production compared to cars built five years ago. One in five cars now emit less than 140g/km of carbon dioxide, which is five times more than ten years ago, but there is still a long way to go for manufacturers to meet the European Union emissions target of 140g/km of carbon dioxide for new vehicles by 2008. Only this week have environmental campaigners critised motor manufacturers for not doing enough when it comes to greening the new vehicle fleet. Targets are challenging, there is a long way to go, but a moment should be taken to celebrate the fact that there is concerted effort from all parties to move in the right direction…it is just the location of the goal posts which is cause for debate. A significantly better position than ten years ago…

(Source: whatcar.com and http://www.smmt.co.uk/publications/publication.cfm?publicationid=15579)

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Electric Smart cars to be tested in London

One hundred electric Smart Car Fortwo’s will be tested in London by councils and businesses in the first road test of the vehicle. London has been choosen as the test bed for this new vehicle as it is regarded as one of the least car-friendly cities in the world.

Companies who opt into the scheme will rent the cars for around £400 per month, which will include all servicing support.

For more information see the full article at http://www.whatcar.com/news-article.aspx?NA=226488

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