The Institution of Highways & Transportation (27 March 2003) launched a transport policy statement setting out ten key requirements for a better transport system.

Ronnie Porter, IHT Past President (2002-3), said:

“Achieving a safe, efficient and sustainable transport system is one of the defining issues of our time. This IHT policy statement presents our core values and principles which determine the actions needed to tackle the transport problems we face.”

Following detailed scrutiny of the barriers to further progress by IHT Council, the IHT’s governing body, and its technical boards, ten key requirements for a better transport system have been identified:

1. More finance is needed – both public and private – to deliver the desired outcomes in the Ten Year Transport Plan.

2. The growing price differential between bus and car operating costs needs to be reversed by fiscal measures.

3. Government must positively promote the integration of bus, tram, train and taxi services.

4. Congestion on inter-urban roads must be relieved by selective improvements to increase capacity and restraining road space demand.

5. Travel congestion can be decoupled from economic growth, but only if a substantial proportion of the travelling public adopt different lifestyles.

6. As the population grows older, transport must increasingly reflect the needs of elderly people for good access to services.

7. Improved funding of rural local transport is required to address the social exclusion of people living in rural areas with restricted or no access to a car.

8. Long term Government commitment to transport funding is needed with creation of legislative and financial frameworks to encourage sufficient private sector investment.

9. Highway safety must be improved through high standards of design and maintenance, greater enforcement of traffic speed control and raising public awareness.

10. The transport industry, professional bodies and policy makers must make greater efforts to address the shortage of transport planning and engineering skills.

Downloads:

Download the transport policy statement, pdf 132kb>>

Download transport policy statement summary, word doc 64kb >>

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITORS

IHT, founded in 1930, has 10,500 members concerned with the design, construction, maintenance and operation of transport systems and infrastructure across all transport modes in both the public and private sectors.

Contact;
John Smart
Director of Technical Affairs
Institution of Highways & Transportation
6 Endsleigh Street London WC1H 0DZ
t: +44 (0)20 7391 9977

e: John.Smart@iht.org