The discussion, the second in a series of roundtables, formed part of the 2011/12 Dods Sustainable Transport Dialogue. This event sought to address questions surrounding the integration of transport services, barriers faced by the public in making environmentally sustainable choices and the need to raise awareness of what can be done on a personal level.
Sherwood MP Mark Spencer said that his constituency didn’t allow him to use public transport in the journeys he has to make, joking that many seem to think that "public transport needs to be improved so that other people can use it, to clear the roads for us!" He wondered if rural areas had been written off by the sustainable transport agenda.
There was a discussion among MPs around the availability and suitability of public transport. Sheffield MP Clive Betts, describing the convenience of having a bus to the city centre at the end of his road, saw the key point was that "the root to sustainable transport is all about designing in sustainable transport".
Former Roads Minister Sir Peter Bottomley MP said that motorists don’t take enough account of the cost to them in time and money of sitting in traffic jams, and don’t factor in journey times to work enough when choosing somewhere to live or which job to take.
Cost and convenience were seen as the over-riding factors, and there was considerable discussion of the perception that people sought out the transport that was "right for them", with Clive Betts MP feeling that many people will get on a tram or a tube, but not a bus. Sandeep Shingadia of Centro agreed, saying that in the West Midlands, train usage had risen steadily, while bus patronage had not.
Stephen Joseph of the Campaign for Better Transport thought it essential to target segments of the population who were more likely to switch towards greener transport, highlighting the importance of marketing and psychology not just building infrastructure, saying"it’s not as politically sexy as cutting a ribbon on a big new thing". Claire Haigh of Greener Journeys agreed, saying the ‘carbon imperative’ wasn’t as strong as it was in people’s minds before the economic downturn. Lord Davies said people were overwhelmed by the global picture and didn’t believe their individual actions would lead to greater change. Andrew Jones MP, PPS to Transport Secretary Justine Greening, worried that segmentation approach was "a little patronising in many cases", highlighting again people’s rational choices around convenience.
Information on travel options was also seen as crucial, especially in terms of predictability. Mark Spencer MP said it was essential to use the real time data now stored centrally to tell members of the travelling public exactly when their bus or train would arrive. Sandeep Shingadia pointed to a Centro smartphone app, providing this information. Alan Whitehead MP said they had to give everywhere the levels of transport infrastructure that London had – that he’d have to be "seriously deranged to drive into the centre of London." Clive Betts MP saw it as crucial to have transport authorities in other parts of the country with the same powers as Transport for London, with similar abilities to regulate to ensure integration.
Discussions of electric vehicles concentrated on practical questions around charging – that "green and convenient" had to be front and centre. Philippa Oldham of the Mechanical Engineers said their role was to say "here are some viable choices" and the public have to choose the correct mode for their own needs "it’s not about everyone buying an electric vehicle." Chris Potter of General Motors said that the motor industry had viable electric vehicles coming down the track, but that government had to provide very visible infrastructure to support them.
Clive Betts MP said that as fuel prices are very likely to rise over the next 5 years, sustainable forms of transport become relatively cheaper. Though Dr Alan Whitehead highlighted tht once the average motorist had bought and paid tax on their car they saw it irrational not to use it. There was seen by some to be a lack of joined-up-thinking between different transport bodies, such as LEPs, mayors and PTEs, and the creation of an overlap in remit that would undermine integration.
Richard Mills of Boeing suggested that new air traffic control technology can help enhance the passenger experience by reducing stacking, as well as reducing the amount of fuel burnt. He also highlighted the importance of integrated mass transport at airports and the benefits brought by aviation biofuels, which were unthinkable just a few years ago.
We plan to hold our third and final roundtable for this dialogue in May 2012. The focus of this roundtable will be on the role of government. How can the government most effectively create and support a sustainable and integrated transport system?
For further information please contact Lauren Jones on 020 7593 5667 or at
lauren.jones@dods.co.uk