Questions and answers about transport management

Sample questions and answers

Question
Why doesn't the government stop trying to build more roads as a solution to congestion in the UK and adopt a more integrated system of transport?

Answer
People expect to use their cars when and where they like. Drivers also perceive there to be no, or very limited, alternatives to most car journeys. Care must be taken when interpreting this view because the majority of journeys made in Britain are less than two miles in length, and many of these could easily be made on foot or by bicycle. For longer journeys – excepting many of those in rural areas or which involve travelling across main routes – alternatives probably do exist, but are often perceived as too expensive and/or of too poor quality to entice motorists out of their cars.

Question
When will the government take a radical approach to reduce traffic on our roads?

Answer
One radical option is road-user charging. London and Durham have recently introduced charging schemes. In London it costs £8 to drive a private car into the central zone throughout much of the day, and in Durham the charge is £2. Both schemes have been successful at reducing traffic. Ministers are consulting on introducing charging for road use across the country at the moment, but even if they agree to this in principle, it is unlikely to happen before 2011.