Labour transport policy 'failing'

[Mojo]

from BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7691514.stm

Ten years of government transport policy has been dismissed as "a big disappointment" by a team of academics from Glasgow and Plymouth universities.

They say the government has failed to cut traffic congestion, ignored the need for railway investment and neglected walking and cycling.

The research comes a decade after Labour outlined its new deal on transport in a White Paper.

Ministers say since then there has been significant investment in transport.

'Cold feet'

In 1998, the then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said he would regard himself as a failure if, in five years, traffic congestion had not fallen and public transport use increased.

The new book from the academics outlines the areas in which they say the government has failed:

• Traffic congestion is worse than a decade ago

• The investment needs of the railways have been almost completely ignored, in particular to increase capacity

• Bus services in most of the UK have remained poor, especially in comparison with European rivals

• Tram schemes have been abandoned, despite proving effective at getting motorists out of their cars

• Walking and cycling have been largely neglected

• The government is afraid of addressing the environmental impact of aviation

• Transport carbon emissions continue to rise.

Dr Ian Docherty, from Glasgow University, said the government has been timid in its policies and has "got cold feet at the point when it could have done something".

The government accepts there is now more traffic on the roads, but points out record numbers of people are using trains.

It also says £100 million is being spent creating cycling demonstration cities.

No surprises there then... it's all about spending money on projects that have little difference!

 

[BJMorley]

[Rant]
That's what you get when you elect a party who only think about themselves and money.
Magaret Th****** John Major (still Cons.) buggered it all when they privatised Transport. If Labour (when they got in) were for the working class (like they were in the 70's) I would of thought the majority of working class wanting the Transport to be improved would of been heard not ignored or abandoned as you would have to spend a penny. All I see out of this Labour Governments policies is just a pretty face promising us stuff that's probably never going to happen.
Suprisingly, I can't see why Labour want to stay in power. I can't wait for the General Elections to get the B*st**ds out.
[/Rant]
I won't go on about it anymore... or like the 097 thread it will just have me shouting and raving.
Brandon

 

[class 313]

[Rant]
That's what you get when you elect a party who only think about themselves and money.
Magaret Th****** destoyed it all when she Privatised it. If Labour were for the working class (like they were in the 70's) I would of thought the majority of working class wanting the Transport to be improved would of been heard not ignored or abandoned as youw ould have to spend a penny. All I see out of this Labour Governments policies is just a pretty face promising us stuff that's probably never going to happen.
Suprisingly, I can't see why Labour want to stay in power. I can't wait for the General Elections to get the B*st**ds out.
[/Rant]
I won't go on about it anymore... or like the 097 thread it will just have me shouting and raving.
Brandon

:roll:

 

[Mintona]

Maggie T didn't privatise it, nor was she a Labour leader...

I wouldn't say Gordon Brown had a "pretty face" either

 

[devon_metro]

[Rant]
That's what you get when you elect a party who only think about themselves and money.
Magaret Th****** buggered it all when they privatised Transport. If Labour (when they got in) were for the working class (like they were in the 70's) I would of thought the majority of working class wanting the Transport to be improved would of been heard not ignored or abandoned as you would have to spend a penny. All I see out of this Labour Governments policies is just a pretty face promising us stuff that's probably never going to happen.
Suprisingly, I can't see why Labour want to stay in power. I can't wait for the General Elections to get the B*st**ds out.
[/Rant]
I won't go on about it anymore... or like the 097 thread it will just have me shouting and raving.
Brandon

Oh Dear! Wasn't the mass building of 2nd Gen DMUs in Thatchers era :?

 

[Metroland]

Markets are criticised for being 'amoral' and only governments can put frameworks in place to 'do the right thing'. Some argue we should distrust businessmen and markets, and politicians should look after the long term interest, as they have in our best interest.

I would suggest that governments are even less able to 'do the right thing', should be trusted even less and are subject to powerful lobbying and distortions in their funding. This is why the public are cynical.

 

[BJMorley]

Oh Dear! Wasn't the mass building of 2nd Gen DMUs in Thatchers era :?

Wow, but they were and still are, a cheap way of replacing stock, which was crippled as they were built at the same time as each other.

 

[Broken Viking]

Personally, I think that our entire political system is more up the duff than the average 12 year old Chavette!

Many might disagree with me on what I'm about to say, but in my opinion half of the problem is that any form of Governmental decision nowadays normally has to pass through several different entities from conception to implementation...And having at least two of those entities located in Brussels doesn't help, either. :mad:

If it was up to me personally, I would:

1. Block all immigration on a temporary basis whilst we're trying to get back on our own feet,
2. Temporarily remove us from the E.U, pending a public referendum on whether or not we should be an E.U. member state at all,
3. Return us to a Feudalist state and dissolve Parlament (To prevent cross-party issues etc.) as a temporary measure whilst we're trying to get our completely FUBAR'd country once again running in the right direction. Though I'm no Royalist at all, I'm certain that Her Majesty would be more than happy to reclaim her full power over the state once again, and in her capable hands we'd probabally be a whole lot better off, to be honest! 8)

 

[P156KWJ]

Wow, but they were and still are, a cheap way of replacing stock, which was crippled as they were built at the same time as each other.

so? 2nd gen DMUs do a fab job. Look, I know you like loco hauled stock but practicality and passengers are a bigger issue than enthusiasts wanting some decent stock to ride up and down the same piece of track on...

 

[BJMorley]

I'm not saying I dont like 2nd Gen units, I'm just saying they were done on the cheap. If the government at that time, or now had put money into making public transport better, probably we wouldn't of had the problem of overcroiwding that we do have now.

 

[Beaker]

[Rant]
That's what you get when you elect a party who only think about themselves and money.
Magaret Th****** buggered it all when they privatised Transport. If Labour (when they got in) were for the working class (like they were in the 70's) I would of thought the majority of working class wanting the Transport to be improved would of been heard not ignored or abandoned as you would have to spend a penny. All I see out of this Labour Governments policies is just a pretty face promising us stuff that's probably never going to happen.
Suprisingly, I can't see why Labour want to stay in power. I can't wait for the General Elections to get the B*st**ds out.
[/Rant]
I won't go on about it anymore... or like the 097 thread it will just have me shouting and raving.
Brandon

Of course.

 

[mrcheek]

Frankly, you could change the heading of this topic to almost any other political subject. labour's transport, health, immigration, crime, education, economic, foreign, business, regulation, energy, employment, welfare and defence policies are all "failing". they talk a lot of talk, they raised our taxes, and they threw money into a big hole so that it had no effect. how long until we can get rid of them?

 

[BJMorley]

Well until we get off are arses and tell the b*st**ds what we wan't. There's no point complaining about it. I would do something but no one ever listens to me. If we do it in the mass, then they'll be in the sh*ts.
Brandon

 

[Mojo]

Actually, the railways were privitised by John Major's Government.

Secondly, a lot of the problems relate to excessive regulation of the industry and major public projects which cause costs to rise.

Finally, one of the largest station/line re-opening/enhancement schemes took place between 1979 and 1997, the modern urban railway network in many areas (Birmingham, West Yorkshire, etc.) dates from this period. Not to mention the go-ahead for all second generation light rail schemes except Nottingham took place in this period.

 

[devon_metro]

I'm not saying I dont like 2nd Gen units, I'm just saying they were done on the cheap. If the government at that time, or now had put money into making public transport better, probably we wouldn't of had the problem of overcroiwding that we do have now.

Surely building anything is investment. Clapped out old 1st gen DMUs don't last forever!