Foreword by the Minister of Transport
We are undergoing a major shift in emphasis in transport policy in this country. We know that our quality of life depends on an efficient transport system, but we all now also recognise that the way we travel is damaging our towns and cities and harming our countryside. It is clear that there is a mood for change, away from policies dominated by the short-term, towards a more sustainable approach to transport policy that tackles both congestion and pollution. The new approach must protect the environment and the nation's health, for the sake of all of us, and at the same time contribute to the development of a stronger and more sustainable economy. We are all road-users, whether motorists or not, and we all have an interest in getting this balance right.
The work of the Royal Commission has been central in setting this new agenda. Their Eighteenth Report, 'Transport and the Environment', in October 1994, led directly to the previous Government's recognition that action had to be taken to tackle the growth in road traffic. The Royal Commission's Twentieth Report, which was presented to Parliament in September 1997, reviewing developments since 1994, was prompted by its concern that the full extent of the challenge presented by the future of transport was becoming 'even more starkly evident'. By then, the new Government had embarked on the major review of transport policy which culminated in the publication this July of the White Paper 'A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone'.
The Twentieth Report was a valuable and very timely contribution to our work in formulating the new transport policy, and, together with the Eighteenth Report, it has been an important influence on the Government's thinking on many of the issues. There is a clear resonance between the 'themes emphasised' in the Royal Commission's reports and those underlying the Government's White Paper on the future of transport.
Foremost is the acknowledgement that the consequences of forecast traffic growth are unacceptable, and that we need to take action to secure more sustainable transport for the future. We also agree that Government has an important role in providing the right framework for all those with an interest in transport to play their part. Both the reports and the White Paper have identified the need for integration, both within and between transport modes, and of transport policies with other policies, and both look to the potential for technology to provide solutions through innovation in fuel efficiency and emissions, and in other directions.
Finally, our White Paper picks up strongly on the need, emphasised by the Royal Commission, of encouraging awareness of transport issues, and of sending consistent signals to help all of us work towards sustainable development objectives. The measures in the New Deal for Transport will benefit us all, not just those affected by the impacts of traffic, but also transport users themselves, through reducing the length and increasing the reliability of journeys, and through maximising fuel efficiency.
We therefore welcome very warmly the Twentieth Report, and this response closely follows the White Paper to which it was such an important contribution.
Published 23 December 1998
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