Transport Crucible

In theory, UK government at local and central level is ultimately responsible for the quality and performance of all transport services – and the extent to which the nation’s needs to move people and goods are met. In theory, there is a direct link of accountability between public opinion and the quality of transport services via government. In practice there is a big gap between what the UK public want and get. In practice, nearly every aspect of transport service is run by profit seeking corporate entities. So, it is almost always contractor who is really in charge of the services you may want improved – but you can only ask your local councillor or MP to deliver them…
All modes that are commonly known as ‘Public Transport’ in the UK are owned and run by private sector businesses. Most programming of traffic light sequences and parking regulation enforcement is by companies whose primary goal is profit not service. The enforcement of parking controls is in theory to improve traffic flow and road-safety. But for many and probably most road users it seems to have more to do with revenue generation – and that’s because in practice, it is – both for cash strapped local authorities and the flow of profits into enforcement company coffers. The commercial structure in which public rail services and private enterprise are mixed is extraordinary to say the least and abysmally daft at worst – as Christian Wolmar will explain in as much breadth and depth as you can stand. The options for changing transport amenity on roads are however far more commercially manageable for bus, coach and taxi companies. And this is dramatically enhanced by widespread measures to enhance and ‘encourage’ use of ‘public’ transport – which in practice allows commercial service operators to have prioritised and frequently exclusive access to swathes of public highway. A consequence of this UK trend is that demands from commercial operators to change the way highways can be used are more frequently and better met than demand for use by individual members of the public in vehicles they fund and pay tax on, and the commercial operators of freight services whose needs for infrastructure improvement are generally ignored.