Greener Vision Insight Page 6

Urban mobility arrives at its own crossroads

Published on: 7th December 2020 by Simon Dixon and Justine Bornstein.

Against the backdrop of the pandemic, rumours of the death of public transport have been greatly exaggerated (with apologies to Mark Twain). Yes, urban transport planners and operators are currently facing some of their biggest challenges ever: rising costs, legacy infrastructure and ever-decreasing passenger numbers. Personally, I am keen to get back to regular commuting…

The end of the ‘ICE age’ is upon us

Published on: 4th December 2020 by Neil Wallis.

So, the starting gun has been fired and 2030 is the deadline for phasing out cars and vans with a standard internal combustion engine (ICE). This extraordinary invention, an increasingly dominant feature of all our lives since the late 19th Century will soon be consigned to our industrial history (at least in lighter vehicles). This…

Greening the EV Transition

Published on: 2nd December 2020 by Greg Marsden.

The end of the sale of internal combustion engine cars has been brought forward to 2030. This must be greeted with enthusiasm. It’s a big step and I am glad the government has done this. However, if this is to play its part in a Paris-compliant pathway to zero emissions, this can only be the…

Levelling up to zero carbon

Published on: 30th November 2020 by Jim Steer.

It all come out last week. A Budget (understandably set for one year only); a National Infrastructure Strategy (Government’s formal response to the National Infrastructure Commission’s advice from 2018); and a review of HM Treasury’s Green Book. Each of them has great significance to the transport sector, and each contains revealing insights into the post…

SUPERPOWER

Published on: 27th November 2020 by Keith Moverley.

I am a lifelong rail engineer, not a philosopher yet during these COVID times with more time to read, write and philosophise, I was drawn to a recent statement made by Bill Gates who summed up my thinking — “COVID-19 is awful. Climate change could be worse.” Despite the warning signs, progress on climate change has,…

Sustainable Congestion-Busting Alternatives to a new M4 Motorway in South East Wales

Published on: 26th November 2020 by Lord Burns.

South East Wales is home to some of the most populated areas of Wales, including the capital Cardiff and the city of Newport. It has long suffered from an acute congestion problem on the M4 motorway. The independent South East Wales Transport Commission was set up in 2019 by Wales’ First Minister, Mark Drakeford, following…

An idea whose time has come

Published on: 24th November 2020 by Claire Haigh.

Centrepiece of the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a “green industrial revolution” was the announcement on ending sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030. Let’s not underestimate how significant this is as a statement of UK intent and a signal to the rest of the world. The PM had been…

Why full delivery of HS2 and NPR is critical to decarbonising our transport system

Published on: 20th November 2020 by Henri Murison.

One of the main misconceptions about HS2 is that its sole purpose is to allow commuters and leisure travellers to get to London more quickly than is currently the case. While it’s true HS2 will bring huge benefits in reducing passenger journey times to the capital, its real impact is in the vast capacity in…

Taking the politics out of road pricing

Published on: 18th November 2020 by Professor David Begg.

John F Kennedy wrote in “Profiles in Courage” that he admired politicians who put policy before politics. The policy on road pricing has been one of the best fiscal changes that any government could have made over the last generation. It has always been the most effective way to tackle traffic congestion and reduce pollution…

We must think outside the delivery box before it’s too late

Published on: 10th November 2020 by Oliver Lord.

Most of us are breathing toxic fumes the minute we step outside our front door. With a rise in e-commerce, we need a concerted effort to decarbonise our transport system and clean up our air. Polluting diesel vans are rattling around the country more than ever before. Last year, annual van traffic rose to a…

Veterans of the railways want fair fares for all

Published on: 5th November 2020 by Simon Jones.

Waiting for a rail review to conclude can take as long as the wait for the trains to arrive. In 2019 we were expecting change to our daily commute with more integration, so things were sorted out quicker when things went wrong. And after several false dawns, Covid hit, and recommendations in an unpublished review,…

Meeting the challenge for a healthier future

Published on: 3rd November 2020 by Katy Taylor.

Coronavirus has caused myriad problems that will be with us for many years to come. We shouldn’t allow rising pollution and poorer air quality to add to that list. But the numbers speak for themselves. Go-Ahead’s train services on GTR and Southeastern are only carrying around one-third of passengers compared to last year. Bus passenger numbers are better but still only 55%. Meanwhile car use has been on the rise and is now over 90%, despite recession and increased…