The RHA is right to identify the waste of £30 billion per year is costing at a time of record borrowing and finite resources, so cutting waste by chucking money at more roads which are known not to ease or rectify congestion, is the wrong answer. We need to see that the local rail closures have left a gap in our transport infrastructure, roads are locked-in and a major governmental courage and boldness to switch back to rail is a commitment we do need now!
The British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) has long supported a quick delivery of east-west rail links north of London.
We are sad it is proving so protracted and slow and lack-lustre in leadership, routes east of Bedford and seems disconnected to the prevailing tide of development which may obstruct any route between Bedford and Cambridge which is gateway to the rest of East Anglia and vice versa to Bedford, connections and the Oxford corridor via Bletchley.
We believe the government, which has many demands, spiralling costs demands and so on, needs to get real as to what the foundational platform priorities should be. It needs to raise tax for the better off to pay for all the needs, but more critically, determine once and for all to go for a Renewables and Sustainable platform to inform development and growth balances with people, places, land use stewardship and critically the environment. Without these, hopeless iseems the landscape now and in the foreseeable future!
Government is wasting £11 billion on the Lower Thames Road Tunnels, whereas a rail-based alternative would be more useful for people and goods and for decluttering Essex and London.
We want a programme of local rail reopenings, new-build rail lines and existing line upgrades to enable more people and goods to use rail (modal choice) and declutter our expensive, polluting road systems.
Switch money from new roads to local rail links and people can vote more with their feet in their daily transport habits. Cutting emissions and rubber on hard surfaces helps reduce sicknesses from leukemia to cancer and lung issues for example, so that in turn saves money in the NHS for other deployments.
Blight of daily traffic and pollution informs a lot of mental health as well, so again the government could act in prevention terms, all saving money and lives and the rail agenda gives pro-affirma options.
Costs of usage need to come down, currently things are demand price-managed mainly and that is immoral as rich and poor, everyone needs transport for loads of daily needs.
Please email your MP and support BRTA!
and donate to BRTA:
Here is a flavour of schemes which need a government push: https://brtarail.com/our-
We are working hard, but need more practical support, donations of time and money and skills to take our agendas to policy and power corridors. Thank you.
Respond to this as well: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-planning-policy-framework
Yours sincerely,
Richard Pill
BRTA CEO
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