Twentieth report : transport and the environment--developments since 1994 / Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution ; presented to Parliament by Command of Her Majesty, September 1997.

  • Great Britain. Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution.
Date:
1997
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Twentieth report : transport and the environment--developments since 1994 / Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution ; presented to Parliament by Command of Her Majesty, September 1997. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    sought ‘sustainable mobility’ with the aim of reconciling transport and environmental policies, although little progress had been made in this direction by 1994.* Since then the priority for development of Trans-European Networks has been placed increasingly on rail and cross-modal routes rather than road routes.” A European Commission Green Paper has considered the scope for using economic instruments to reflect the external costs imposed by transport systems.” Another Green Paper on ‘citizens’ networks’ encourages improved quality and maximum use of public transport, and planning guidance to integrate land use and transport; ~ but these are not areas of policy in which the EU has competence under the Treaties. The forthcoming White Paper 1.17. The new government elected in May 1997 has made the relationship between transport and the environment one of its key priorities. It has made both subjects the responsibility of the Deputy Prime Minister, as Secretary of State heading the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, formed by merging the Department of the Environment and DOT. 1.18 The White Paper promised for spring 1998, following a fundamental review of transport policy, will ‘look at the short-term and long-term actions necessary to deliver an integrated transport system’ and set out an integrated transport policy which will provide a ‘sustainable framework for decision- making during the remainder of this Parliament and the years beyond that.’ The Deputy Prime Minister has referred to a previously unco-ordinated approach to the provision of transport infrastructure and services and a lack of integration with the wider planning system. He emphasised that the review would be conducted in a consultative way and that he was looking for solutions which ‘combined social and environmental improvements, while promoting economic growth, employment and regional competitiveness’. A consultative document is being published.” 1.19 In conjunction with the fundamental review the government has launched a review of buses and a strategic roads review. The first volume of the consultation paper issued for the road review covers general roads policy issues and the development of an investment strategy for the trunk road network, and sets out five ‘fundamental criteria’ on which the review will be based:”° a. integration—ensuring that all road decisions are taken in the context of a coherent, integrated transport policy covering all modes; b. accessibility — making it easier to reach the places we wish to get to; c. safety — making travel safer; d. economy — getting good value for money and supporting economic activity in appropriate locations; e. environmental impact—both positive and negative, on both the natural and built environment, and at the global, regional and local level. Assessing sustainability 1.20 The Eighteenth Report related transport policy to the aim of sustainable development, taking as the starting-point a ‘sustainable framework’ for transport policy outlined briefly in January 1994 in the Sustainable Development Strategy for the UK.” A report by the UK Round Table on Sustainable Development, published in June 1996, emphasised that a sustainable transport sector must satisfy economic, environmental and social needs, now and in the future, and maintain the economic and environmental means to do so.” The government responded to this in September 1996, largely by reference to its Transport Green Paper.” In March 1996 an interdepartmental working group published a set of indicators, some of which derive from transport, as a first step towards establishing measures of progress towards sustainable development, showing where further progress is needed, and bringing home the main messages to businesses and individuals.” f 1.21 In general the suggested sustainability indicators deriving from transport cover the period since 1970. Emissions of carbon dioxide and other key pollutants (except lead) have shown large increases