I haven’t ridden my Brompton bike for years. I say this is a safety play as I don’t want to be squashed under a lorry. This happened to me on Hyde Park Corner in the 1970s and I don’t want a repeat. You may say I’m lazy.
The number of people cycling in London has increased. First there was a scheme for employers to part-finance new bikes for employees and now there are dedicated bicycle lanes and 20 mph speed limits. There is consideration for pedestrians, too. Increasingly crossing lights have a countdown until they change from green to red, so that the less nimble don’t get caught in the middle of the road like hedgehogs. Should you be a driver things aren’t so good. Residents’ parking permits are the norm and in Knightsbridge are operational until 10.00 pm. The Congestion Charge is £11.50 daily. Car parks and street parking are expensive. There is every reason never to take a car into London. If you choose to make a long journey by road traffic jams are inevitable.
After World War II successive UK governments neglected the railways and poured tax payers’ money into building motorways. Car manufacturers were laughing as disposable incomes rose and roads were provided gratis. To what extent did they shape government policy? Lord Austin, Lord Rootes, Viscount Nuffield, Sir John Egan (chairman of Jaguar) got their gongs for making often inferior models to be driven on roads paid for by the taxpayer. Inferior compared to American and European cars that were discriminated against by import duties and tax breaks for employers who “bought British”. Nationalised British Rail was ridiculed for lamentable service, truculent trade unions and high fares. The automobile industry was not the only beneficiary of this government led skew. Eddie Stobart found that conditions were perfect for moving freight by road not rail, for instance. Now the tide has turned and long journeys are best done by air or rail. People living in cities no longer need cars and, if they choose to have four wheels, pay for the privilege.
This is the way of the world. The Georgians who invested in canals little thought that they’d be put out of business by railways. Railways in the last century were eclipsed by motorways. In the 21st century motorways will increasingly be used for moving freight and people will move back to using railways, or fly. This is why I support a new High Speed railway up the spine of England.
However, I have strong reservations about the future of short-haul flights. They are inevitably cheaper than taking the train because jet fuel is not taxed. Again there is an artificial advantage created by government. It is hard to impose an effective tax on jet fuel. Airlines will simply refuel somewhere cheaper. But it seems illogical that passengers waste time and money travelling out of cities to get to airports and then spend time and money at their destination getting back into a city. Railway stations are located in city centres.
