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MODAL SHIFT REMAINS A DREAM. ROAD PRICING IS REVEALED AS A NIGHTMARE
Official figures released today show an increase in car usage as usual.
People make appropriate individual travel choices irrespective of the dim-witted ideology espoused - and imposed - by Government.
The National Travel Survey reveals that four fifths of journeys are undertaken by car and that this percentage is unchanged over the last decade.
John Prescott's words in 1997 (I will have failed if, in five years' time, there are not fewer journeys undertaken by car) will haunt him once again.
Importantly the Government's innumerate fears of a congestion explosion are proved to be false because the average time spent travelling is unchanged. If it takes too long to travel people change their plans.
This factor signposts the most fundamental flaw in proposed road pricing policy.
Paul Smith, of the Safe Speed road safety campaign www.safespeed.org.uk said: "The market makes transport choices and the Government must support real world transport choice.
The Government's transport ideologies are being ignored by the travelling public who prefer to make an appropriate and optimal choice for each individual journey.
The Government must stop their programme of interference and do their job as facilitators properly. Dreams of modal shift have not materialised and never will."
"Road pricing is revealed as fundamentally flawed because the number of hours spent travelling remains constant.
If there's congestion people are assessing the delay and choosing not to travel or making alternative arrangements.
The Governments proposals ignore this vital self-regulating behaviour."
"Road safety has appeared to benefit from a 20% reduction in walking.
Pedestrian fatalities have fallen by 40% from 1994 to 2004.
It is now clear that half this benefit is due to reduced exposure to road risks. Is this how the Department for Transport works towards meeting its road safety targets?"
"These figures reveal fundamental flaws in many areas of Department for Transport policy.
The DfT clearly takes the prize as the 'department most divorced from reality.”
“Sweeping change is long overdue.”
“Let's start at the top Mr Darling."
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