Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, has reacted quickly to the government’s announcement yesterday that it was suspending all transport projects not currently under contract as part of its spending review, saying that it should focus on smarter travel options that provide the best return on investment.
The government’s decision puts £1.6 billion worth of projects at risk ahead of a financial review that will take place in the autumn following a joint review of spending by the Treasury and the DfT. Immediate cuts have been made in the road safety budget as well as money put aside to address urban congestion, to the tune, respectively, of £17.2 million and £7.9 million.
The Times quoted Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, who recently said he could never contemplate cycling in London, providing sharp contrast with his predecessor, keen cyclist Lord Adonis, as saying: “I am taking this action to ensure that no taxpayers’ money is spent unnecessarily on transport schemes that are now under review.”
He continued: “If we are to succeed in reducing the UK’s record budget deficit, it is vital that not a single penny is wasted and we get the maximum value for money for every project.”
Jason Torrance, Policy Manager at Sustrans, said: "As scrutiny on public spending is intensified we believe it is more important than ever that investment is focused on interventions that deliver high value for money, and benefits across Government.
"Large road schemes often have a return on investment of less than £2 for every £1 spent. But we believe there are better, smarter ways to spend money. The work of Sustrans consistently proves that helping people to use their cars less for short local journeys delivers multiple benefits: not least financially - using the government's own cost benefit system local walking and cycling schemes shows a return on investment of £15 to £33 for every pound spent."
I'd agree there are a lot people who want no change whatsoever (or rather just don't think about change, busy getting on with life). Until...
I like how drivers make the case for making monitoring covert, not overt.
She seemed a bit upset about a minor misjudgement that could have killed someone and is going to cause months of stress and inconvenience.
No we don't agree, personally I would take primary, even if only for a short period although I can understand why some riders might not want to...
And which looks very like the bag produced by indy bag manufacturer Wizard Works…...
If it was a 'no vehicles' sign (all white circle centre), it would mean cyclists could ride in the hours that HGVs and disabled drivers are allowed...
The bit at the start and end looks like a cycle lane, but the bit they drive on looks just like a patched filter lane for traffic lights.
Hey, you 4 execs helped run a company into the ground and have no jobs anymore... Come work for us because you have great experience in the...
£11.5k for a bike weighing over 8kg that's 2 fingers to customers let alone UCI
I'm going to show my bike a picture of this shed and tell it, "If you don't behave..."