We asked a number of groups with different points of view to give their opinions on how best to tackle road congestion. These views are their own and are presented here unedited to help inform the debate.
Stephen Joseph OBE, Executive Director, Transport 2000
Transport 2000 is the independent national body concerned with sustainable transport. It looks for answers to transport problems and aims to reduce the environmental and social impact of transport by encouraging less use of cars and more use of public transport, walking and cycling.
Read Stephen Joseph’s views
Road traffic in Britain is increasing by two per cent a year, helped in some part by nine per cent fall in the costs of motoring since 1997 and the continuing roll out of car-based development across the country. This means that the distances we travel - to work, shopping, schools etc - are increasing - we are travelling further to do the same things. The growth in traffic has its downsides including congestion and pollution - transport accounts for a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions, and is set to grow.
We need transport solutions - and we need them fast. Road building won’t solve congestion - experience here and overseas shows that traffic simply expands to fill whatever roads are built..
A national road pricing scheme could help create a genuinely sustainable transport system in this country - but only if money from such scheme were used to improve public transport networks, put more freight on the railways and make walking and cycling real choices for shorter car journeys
Debate and participation in the shape of our present and future transport system is vital - not just with motorists but also with the poorest households in the country who don’t have access to the car. And debate has to be based on realities - not on pretending that UK can or should follow Los Angeles transport policies.
We desperately need answers to Britain’s transport problems; answers based on fact, not on fictions of some of the supporters of the anti-road pricing petition, and rooted in providing individuals with increased travel choices. Road pricing could be a part of the solution, but needs to be explicitly linked with improving public transport to tackle climate change. The time for strong government leadership to improve travel choices, increase the capacity of our public transport networks and tackle climate change is now.
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