DEVISING A TRANSPORT STRATEGY - THE PRIVATE SECTOR VIEWPOINT

This paper presents a large business's viewpoint about an appropriate transport strategy for South East England. Better public and private transport infrastructures can: (1) reduce journey times and make them more reliable; (2) reduce congestion; (3) generate employment; (4) improve users' choice; and (5) attract inward investment. The link between economic performance and transport is especially important in the South East, and the quality of transport there concerns the whole UK. Its present transport infrastructure is insufficient to handle current traffic levels. Future growth in demand will place new strains on infrastructure, despite the effects of recession. The challenges to providing an effective transport network in the South East include: (1) need to overcome past underinvestment; (2) limits to public funding; (3) rail privatisation; (4) environmental constraints; (5) very strong desire for personal mobility, especially via cars. The required policy framework should look more closely at all modes and at the links between land use and transport. It would: (1) at least maintain the level of public expenditure; (2) encourage the use of private finance; (3) prioritise projects better; (4) provide additional capacity; (5) use pricing mechanisms more; (6) coordinate transport infrastructure more with land use; (7) improve modal links. For the covering abstract see IRRD 866140.