Transport planners in Britain generally work for local government authorities or in the transport consultancy and engineering firms that are frequently contracted to develop local or centrally funded projects. In theory transport planners are engaged to develop solutions to specific problems, or improve existing sections of infrastructure in the most cost effective ways. In practice, [...]
In theory, policy is shaped in modern democracies by a combination of what government experts and the public think are the best ways to tackle problems. In Britain great emphasis is placed on consultation procedures as means of demonstrating that the public always has a fair say in what government or their sub-contracted consultants propose [...]
The way producers and suppliers respond to public demand for fuel that is as cheap and clean as possible has a significant influence on the way transport amenity and policy develops. But the way governments interact with energy companies and indeed the nations that have the greatest abundance of natural resources for fuel production is [...]
The way governments choose to tackle problems can depend on which strategy has the strongest champion. A prime example of this being the role of Ken Livingstone in choosing (in theory at least) to cut London’s traffic congestion by introducing a Congestion Charge in 2003. The basis for his ‘new’ scheme was actually a 40 [...]
News and Internet Commentators…
The way problems are perceived by politicians and the public has a fundamental impact on the choices made between options to solve them. But a key influence on the way transport problems are seen is the way they are presented by the media and especially in ‘news’ stories which are generally expected to be a [...]