A blog about changemaking in transport
13 Ideas for getting Government moving again
We’re about to have a new Prime Minister. That now seems highly likely.
And the reason couldn’t be clearer: there’s a consensus, across the board, that Keir Starmer has moved too slowly on too many things.
So what needs to change under his successor?
Well, a big part of it is the way Government works.
Here’s a Baker’s dozen of ideas…
DfT Was Right Not To Let Too Much Fairness Get In The Way
The DfT funded Mini Switzerland without a published funding pot or transparent criteria.
Good!
Being able to react to an idea with pace and agility is exactly what we need from Government in an era when the public doubt the state’s ability to deliver.
Too much procedural fairness can stifle outcomes - without actually being fairer.
Better Connected Would be Better with Targets
Lots of people have asked me to share my thoughts on Better Connected, the Government’s new Integrated National Transport Strategy.
So here they are…
The summary: great that it exists at all, good as a first step but there’s much more needed to create a strategy that will actually integrate transport.
What Vision-Led Planning Means for Transport People
The National Planning Policy Framework requires transport planners to use a “vision-led” approach.
This requires big changes in culture and ways of working.
Here’s what needs to happen.
The National Transport Strategy
It’s all very well having strategies for each mode. But what ties them all together?
Will Lane Rental solve roadworks?
Lane Rental could make a big difference to roadworks. But not as currently designed.
Bus strategy looks set to under-deliver
The bus strategy risks underwhelming. But it can be saved with time and money.
The transport Decarbonisation plan won’t decarbonise transport
The decarbonisation plan is, sadly, fatally flawed
PSVAR is a masterclass in sloppy legislation
Detailed wording matters. PSVAR has failed both operators and disabled users
Where is the National Roads Strategy?
We have strategies for buses, bikes and trains. But what about where most journeys happen; roads?
Bus Back Better: Mission Impossible or Never say never?
BSIP guidance is sweeping and ambitious. But it's also hyper-centralised and silent on the funding
Active travel
The Government's cycling strategy is ambitious, visionary, detailed, intelligent… and largely unfunded
Sir Michael Holden on the Williams Review
Now we finally know what the Williams Shapps Plan says, I get together with Sir MIchael Holden to discuss it
The Williams Review review
Williams-Shapps has a lot going for it, but neither political nor budgetary success are guaranteed
Will the guiding mind be New Network Rail?
Have you ever used a hedge trimmer to make jam? No? So don’t put Network Rail in charge of train fares.
The “Guiding mind”
The "Guiding Mind" is meant to ensure that train companies focus on the customer. But will the "Guiding Mind" itself be focused on the customer?
Bets on the future
No-one can predict the future. Maybe corporate business case processes should reflect this