Transports of delight

Transport has been in the news a lot recently, whether it be the proposals for Manchester to introduce congestion charging, or the government's barmy road pricing and tracking scheme, the petition against which garnered over 1.8 million signatures by the time it closed on 20 February.

We hear a lot about how we "can't do nothing." Indeed my own personal response to the petition from the Prime Minister himself (*koff*) said as much. It also raised a number of spectres designed to make me fear that I didn't understand the issue and that nice Mr Blair does, or that any worries I might have about the government really wanting to track me wherever I go are totally unfounded because, of course, "road pricing is about tackling congestion." Right. So if that's the case, why do the government's plans steadfastly ignore many of the easier, simpler and most important of all less invasive ways of tackling congestion? Could it be, as a member of the opposition suggested on the radio a few weeks ago, that it's because these easier and simpler schemes are "boring" and not nearly headline-grabbing enough for this media-conscious government.

All governments to a greater or lesser extent suffer from short-termism. That special model of political blinkers that only allows UK governments to think about the next five years, and preferably things that will show demonstrable results within five years so they can go back to the polls waving their flags of success and achievement and beg the UK electorate for another go on the rollercoaster ride of power they love so much.

They gaze with envy at the transport systems of countries like Japan, or even France, where railways run smoothly and efficiently, and are used by a large percentage of the population. Indeed France is in the news again at the moment after yesterday breaking the world speed record with this rather sleek looking TGV train - the V150 - which sped down a new track at a blood-draining 357mph (574kph). But these systems didn't materialise overnight, or even within a single five-year period. They are the result of long-term investment programs lasting twenty or thirty years, or even longer. The MD of the French railway appeared on last night's PM programme and was asked how France could achieve this while Britain's railways creak and groan along at a maximum of 98mph? His answer underlines my point: France have been investing in TGV trains for over 25 years. Since 1981 in fact.

But expensive long-term investments like this are only part of the story. So much more could be achieved with much simpler initiatives. In Manchester at the moment, the schools are on their Easter break. The effect of this on rush-hour congestion is staggering, and instantaneous. A few initiatives aimed at prolonging the "half-term effect" would go a long way:

• staggered start times for schools in a given area;
  
• the introduction of school buses that work so well in other countries (both on traffic levels and pupil safety);
• the banning of cars from dropping off passengers within a mile of schools

Similar initiatives around the working population are possible and all would have an effect on rush hour congestion:

• Permanent park-and-ride schemes - not just at Christmas;
• Staggered start times for offices, to match those for schools
• Incentives for car sharing (or disincentives for single occupancy vehicles)
• Incentives for people to work at home (perhaps at the corporate level)
  

On the public highway, greater use of hard shoulder running on motorways would increase their capacity by 33% immediately, sensible changes to the laws on overtaking on the inside would allow traffic to flow more freely and avoid the frustrations caused by overtaking lane campers. Introducing more tidal flow schemes in cities would ease the rush hour and reprogramming roundabout and traffic light controls for more effective peaktime throughput can help too.

When I worked in Greece a few years ago, I was impressed with their scheme for allowing taxi sharing. Basically a cabbie can pick up as many people as he has room for, provided all travellers are going in roughly the same direction. Their meters are capable of recording multiple journeys so each passenger pays only for his or her own journey, together with a small discount for the period in which the cab is shared. Introducing this scheme in the UK could reduce the number of taxis on the roads dramatically.

Finally more efficient policing and tracking of criminals and tax evaders could help cut congestion. It is estimated there are 2 million illegal cars on the roads. Removing these would reduce traffic by almost 7% at a stroke. Add to that road tax and insurance fraudsters and the figure could reach 10%.

And yet any and all of these initiatives are discounted by this bankrupt government in favour of congestion charging and schemes to collect all revenue through petrol duty, which have a disproportionate effect on the poor, on countryside dwellers who have to use their cars more, and on businesses, putting up prices for everyone.