Transport by Norris
The following is the introduction to the Quality of Life Challenge Transport Working Group:
How can we expect this group to come out with an acceptable and reasonable result when the Convenor starts with such a biased introduction?
Yes, I know this isn't news but it got to me again when I read it!
The transport of people, goods and services is a key component of economic growth and social well-being. Demand for transport has so far risen in line with economic growth, as people increase the mileage they travel by air, road or rail in pursuit of business or leisure, and the goods they buy are transported over ever longer distances.Is he mad? How has the real cost of a car been kept 'artificially' cheap? Tax on car fuels is beyond reasonable (No other tax would be acceptable at over 100% rate)... If anything this government, and in some ways the last, have attempted to make cars artificially more expensive.
However, growth in motorised transport is associated with a number of environmental and social problems, ranging from climate change and the loss of greenbelt land to health problems such as asthma and obesity. The current pricing of transport fails to capture these so-called external costs, keeping the price of motoring and aviation artificially cheap.
The gap between the real cost of using a car and using public transport continues to widen – by over 12% in only the last 8 years. QoL Transport will be exploring a range of policies to close this gap.
Steven Norris - Convenor, Transport Working Group
How can we expect this group to come out with an acceptable and reasonable result when the Convenor starts with such a biased introduction?
Yes, I know this isn't news but it got to me again when I read it!