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![]() Railhub Archive | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Department of TransportMawhinney shows the way ahead
Secretary, Dr Brian Mawhinney announced proposals to publish a report setting out the way forward for Britain's transport policy. Dr Mawhinney outlined the framework for the national debate on transport policy to continue and published a compilation of his speeches on transport policy. Speaking at a conference in Oxford, Dr Mawhinney said: "I have published these speeches so that everyone can reflect upon the issues and let me have their views. Once I and my colleagues have considered the responses the Government will publish a further report which draws together the threads of the debate and sets out the way forward for Britain's transport policy." Dr Mawhinney's series of speeches examine a range of issues arising from the interactions of transport issues with the economy, the environment and personal choice. The Secretary of State called for the debate to enter a new phase in which groups with different views on transport get together to discuss the issues raised in his speeches, then send him their conclusions. The Secretary of State said: "There is no shortage of people shouting slogans. The challenge now is to find common ground on which to build a transport strategy for the twenty first century. I welcome the fact that the environmental pressure groups are starting to speak to supporters of road building programmes; much more of this sort of debate needs to take place. Dr Mawhinney stressed that there will be no policy vacuum while the debate continues. He said: "The Government has been active in pursuing a range of significant measures aimed at striking a balance between the three perspective of promoting industrial competitiveness, environmental protection and preservation of choice." The Government is committed to developing balanced policies and in the speeches Dr Mawhinney draws attention to the main areas for debate: - Is the present balance right between promotion of economic growth, protection of the environment and support for personal choice? - If the balance needs to be shifted (for example, towards greater environmental protection or towards enhancing competitiveness by reducing road congestion), what measures need to be taken and how will they achieve their stated objectives? - Are we prepared to accept the wider consequences (for the environment, for personal choice, for industrial competitiveness, jobs and the economy as a whole) of any such measures? A number of seminars and discussions have already taken place around the country in response to the Secretary of State's speeches. Dr Mawhinney is calling for further informed dialogue among organisations and groups with differing views. NOTES TO EDITORS 1. Dr Mawhinney was speaking at a conference on Transport and the Environment organised by the Environmental Change Unit of the University of Oxford. 2. A list of the main questions arising from Dr Mawhinney's speeches, and on which he has asked for views, is attached. 3. Copies of Dr Mawhinney's speeches: 'Transport: The Way Ahead' can be obtained from: Transport Policy Unit Department of Transport Room P2/048 2 Marsham Street LONDON SW1P 3EB MAIN QUESTIONS General 1.Which of the environmental impacts of transport give greatest cause for concern? How much further should we be trying to reduce those impacts? 2. Should we be trying to limit the increase in traffic growth, as well as tackling the impacts of traffic? Passenger travel 3. What aspects of personal choice in transport are most valued? To what degree would it be acceptable to limit those choices for the sake of environmental benefits? (Responses to these questions should take particular account of responses to further questions given below.) 4. Would people be prepared to accept restrictions on car use in return for an improved environment and better health? What combination of regulations and pricing mechanisms would offer the best results? 5. What measures could be taken to make public transport services, especially under-used existing services, more attractive? 6. What could be done to encourage more walking and cycling? How much impact would such measures have on road traffic levels? Freight transport 7. What practical measures might be available to reduce the growth in lorry traffic? What would be the consequences of such measures for industrial competitiveness? 8. Is it accepted that road freight prices do not currently meet the full costs incurred (including environmental costs)? What would be the effect on the freight market and on industrial competitiveness of pricing mechanisms that reflected the full costs? 9. Is there scope to alter business practices (such as 'just in time' delivery and centralisation of production) which can increase traffic levels? 10. What measures would reduce the number of empty lorry journeys? How could lorry movements in sensitive areas (such as town centres) be reduced in cost-effective ways? 11. What plausible increases might be expected in rail freight and waterborne freight? What would be necessary to achieve them? Vehicles 12. Are we prepared to introduce significantly tougher measures to improve the environmental performance of individual vehicles, even if this raises their price or reduces their performance in other ways? Transport Infrastructure 13. Should we be prepared to accept a reduced level of road infrastructure building in the future for the sake of the environment, even if this leads to increased congestion? Could these effects be alleviated by measures to affect the demand for road space? 14. How clear is the evidence that industrial competitiveness is linked to particular levels of road infrastructure? Town Centres 15.How essential is road traffic to the vitality of different town and city centres? How can we better manage traffic in towns? Is the balance right between out-of-town and town centre developments? Targets 16. The Royal Commission proposed a number of targets for reducing the impact of transport on the environment, though it did not identify how these targets would be achieved. Are targets of this kind desirable? And can they be justified by reference to the specific measures that would be necessary to achieve them? Costs 17. What would be the effects on the consumer of any measures suggested in answer to the questions above? What would be the effects on jobs? 18. How can any measures suggested in answer to the questions above be made consistent with the Government's policy of reducing gross Government expenditure as a proportion of gross domestic product? Which measures are most cost-effective? 19.To what extent can private finance be mobilised to help implement these measures? Overseas Experience 20.What can we learn from experience abroad of measures to reduce the impacts of transport?
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