Localism not enough: clear Government action needed in controlling road congestion - TPS advises Transport Select Committee

No progress can be made in controlling road congestion without clear Government action - is what the Transport Planning Society (TPS) said in its latest submission to the Select Committee on Transport.

Keith Buchan, newly elected Chair of TPS, said,

“If there is to be no congestion charging scheme nationally, other methods will be needed and all of them require central Government to set a clear framework.  This will have to start with land use planning.  Siting new developments without thinking about how easy they are to serve by walking, cycling and public transport is still far too common in the UK.  It is a key cause of congestion and transport’s major share of environmental pollution, especially greenhouse gases.  In transport, localism can offer benefits, but these will not be achieved unless someone is responsible for taking a strategic view, and ensuring consistency between the myriad of local initiatives.”

The TPS conclusions in their submission are as follows:

If the Government wishes to tackle congestion without Road User Charging it must undertake a range of actions.

• This should start by ensuring that land use planning fully takes into account the long and short term effects on transport demand.  This is widely recognised as important but still not implemented in terms of decision making “on the ground”.
• In the immediate future the most effective approach would be comprehensive area parking control and charging for all types not just at the workplace.
• This must be combined with a pro-active and well funded travel plan covering at least the same area as the parking control.
• It is important that such areas do not simply control urban centres, but a wider catchment, to avoid damaging conflicts between such centres and out of town developments.
• This will help to define and then support a range of initiatives which may include priority measures for public transport, walking and cycling.  However these should follow on from the results of the travel plan and not seek to pre-empt it.
• Transport authorities are best placed to develop these plans and they could be funded from parking charges.

National Government will, however, need to define a clear framework to avoid one local authority creating a context in which introducing demand management in other authorities becomes politically impossible.  In this sense the apparent relaxation of national parking standards sends all the wrong messages.