A billion pounds to reduce car travel by 0.5%

A billion pounds of public transport fare cuts would reduce car travel by less than half a percent, according to the Royal Automobile Club Foundation’s latest research paper, ‘Public Transport Effects on Road Traffic: Potential and Limitations’ published today* (24).

The Foundation’s paper finds that even with significant increases in investment the scope for switching from private to public transport remains limited because different types of transport serve discrete markets.

Making public transport cheaper by increasing fare subsidies could reduce car traffic – but several billions of pounds would be needed every year to have a measurable impact. The RAC Foundation has calculated that cutting fares by injecting a £1bn in subsidies to bus or rail travel would only reduce car travel (driver and passenger) by less than half a percent.

The report questions whether the public transport network could cope with a surge in growth. The railway network is already congested and existing overcrowding must be tackled before additional passengers can be encouraged to swap the road for the rails. A new High Speed Train line from London to Glasgow would reduce motorway traffic in the corridor by up to 5% – 7%; but this costly venture, would mostly replace travel by air.

Parking for travellers using commuter or long distance trains can reduce road traffic on main routes in and out of our large cities. However, lack of sufficient affordable parking, as well as crowded trains, limits its potential. Intercity park and ride almost certainly encourages the use of rail and a small reduction in long distance car travel can result.

Improved local bus services would only stop a limited number of people travelling between towns in the car. Express coaches have some potential but they require fast and reliable intercity routes to be effective.

Stephen Glaister, Director of the RAC Foundation says ‘Public transport is important but it will not solve our transport problems. Even if billions of pounds more than the UK is currently spending were available and spent wholly on public transport it would only have a marginal impact on getting people out of their cars.’

‘Motorists already pay in excess of £45 billion per year in motoring taxes. Many will say that the cost of motoring is too low and that it needs to be increased to make public transport attractive. The truth is that public transport will only ever be suitable for certain trips and certain markets, and the private car will remain the dominant form of transport. Rather than pricing people out of the market for car use, we need to develop a whole new system for paying for motoring, which supports the development of public transport, pays attention to vehicle emissions and allows people real choice when making their journeys’.

* The RAC Foundation’s paper Public Transport Effects on Road Traffic: Potential and Limitations’ was prepared for the RAC Foundation by David Bayliss OBE. The paper is available on the Foundation’s website to download.

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Lord Digby Jones calls for infrastructure spending

With the Government seeking public sector spending programmes to be initiated ahead of schedule as recession looms, Lord Jones backs calls for short term rather than long-term measures, and said the focus should be on infrastructure and not employment.

Lord Jones suggested ” productive spending on infrastructure programmes” which will enable enhanced productivity of airports, ports, railways, roads and public sector workers whom the country relies on like nurses and teachers.

However, he also advises caution on channelling too much money into big projects, which could end up damaging the economy further. The Foundation would certainly agree that transport infrastructure has an important role in keeping the economy moving and mobility a possibility. We await the pre-budget announcement with interest…

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Too dependent on oil?

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for the UK to reduce its dependency on oil, feeling the industry to be a “dictatorship” that we’re better off clear from.

This comment comes amidst discussions within OPEC who are considering cutting oil production as a way to justify increased prices at the pump- where we have only just witnessed a much welcomed drop to below £1.

Brown said there needs to be a focus on nuclear and renewables, as well as increased investment in the development of technology such as hybrid cars – a welcome call, but it should be recognised that oil usage will remain important for many years to come.

Source: www.number10.gov.uk  17th October 2008

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Crackdown on Blue Badge Abuse

This week, Transport Minister Paul Clark announced both a crackdown on misuse of Blue Badges and plans to extend the scheme to other people with mobility difficulties who currently do not qualify. These new measures are believed to cost up to £55 million.

The Government is considering giving councils the authority to confiscate stolen or forged Blue Badges on the spot.  This power would help to reduce vehicle crime, as well ensuring parking spaces close to vital ammenities are available for those who need it most.

Around 1 in every 200 Badges in circulation is reported as stolen each year.

Two measures have been suggested for helping councils to carry out this task:

1. A  £10m national data sharing system to ensure stolen or forged Badges from outside a council’s local area can be easily identified for the first time.

2. The DfT is also looking at new technologies to make Badges harder to forge, including barcodes that can be read through windscreens.

The second action point in the strategy is to extend the Blue Badge scheme to include seriously disabled Armed Forces personnel and veterans, people with temporary but serious mobility problems, young children with specific disabilities and individuals with severe mental impairments; thereby helping more people to retain their mobility and independence in the face of physical and/or mental illness.

Finally, in a bid to standardise  assessment for Blue Badges across the country, a new system of assessing eligibility for the Blue Badge is also being developed.  This will mean dedicated independent medical assessors, who will ensure that only those who really need a Badge receive one.

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Will the end of British “Summer Time” mark a new fashion trend?

This weekend the clocks go back, which means that the evenings will be darker earlier.  Not only can this be a tad depressing on the journey home from work if you haven’t managed to catch any daylight before work or at lunch, but this premature darkness can also pose problems for road safety.

High- visibility clothing provides one option for reducing your safety risk on the roads this autumn/winter, and although once only sported by workmen, cyclists and learner motorcyclists, fashion designer Karl Largerfeld may be responsible for making it the “must have” accessory for road users, pedestrians and fashionistas alike.

Lagerfeld, wearing a high- vis vest as part of the French Government’s high- visibility campaign, says

“It’s yellow, it’s ugly. It doesn’t match anything, but it might save your life.”

In July this year, France joined the list of EU countries that require the carrying of high- visibility vests in the car boot as a safety precaution in the event of a breakdown.

So, as you set your clocks back this Saturday night to enjoy an additional hour to your Sunday lie-in, give a thought to your wardrobe choice for the winter evenings, and contemplate going against the well- known piece of advice “play safe and go with a little black dress” and instead consider luminous yellow… It’s the “in thing” don’t you know…

Source: “It’s simply the vest” by Andrew Martin, The Times 2, 22nd October 2008

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