What do you give the beleaguered British traveller or mover of goods who is attempting to do so by rail? How about the UK’s first rail fare to break the £1,000 barrier? As noted by the Guardian.
Then juxtapose this ‘public transport’ pricing landmark with news that road congestion is on the rise again after it fell for a while in credit crunched 2009.
The latest figures out today on road traffic congestion from Traffic Master & analysis by the AA show that it is rising again.
Edmund King, AA president, said: “Although we don’t welcome an increase in congestion, we do welcome the fact that it indicates that the economy is picking up. Our nation is dependent on road travel and congestion acts as a barometer of economic activity.
But is the rise in car congestion a good indicator that people are feeling less pinched? Frankly, I think it is it more to do with the increasing pressure people are under to use cars and vans in the face of escalating public transport fares and cuts in services.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:20 am
Absolutley. It is generally cheaper, quicker and more convenient to drive than go by public transport. Even if you are the only person in the car and you get stuck in a jam. If there’s two or more of you it becomes even more cost effective to drive. How can the Government say they are encouraging people to use alternative methods of transport when economically there isn’t one.
This is without all the other factors such as the state of the trains / buses etc.
The policy seems to be offer us no alternative and then penalise us for not taking it!