Who is the government’s Plan for Drivers actually for?
Why is the Conservative Party working so hard to pit UK citizens against each other in a so-called ‘war on motorists’? Most of us identify as a driver at times, but we are also pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users – and are often more than one in a day – so why divide us with a phony war? Of course, the answer is because this divisive language might win a few extra votes in a handful of targeted locations, and might create some political space between the Conservative and Labour parties.
But at what expense? The number of children being killed or seriously injured while walking on our roads is increasing, and driving at faster speeds increases the risk of collision. Road transport is the biggest source of air pollution in our towns and cities, causing permanent damage to our health. Road vehicles are also the UK’s biggest cause of carbon emissions, and we are already feeling the effects of climate change. We have been taking the necessary steps to improve in these areas (albeit slowly), so it seems perverse to backtrack on progress.
I am a mother and a pedestrian. I work long days and am a train user. I am an active member of the community and a cyclist. I am a daughter and a motorist. Am I in a war against myself? Like most mothers, I care about road safety, clean air and climate change – all of which are helped by cleaner vehicles, lower speed limits and streets with less traffic. As a worker, I care about affordable public transport fares and a reliable timetable, which require proper investment in the system. As a resident of my community, I care about my neighbours and the local environment, which benefit from quieter, greener streets. As a daughter, I care about being able to visit my parents without sitting in fume-filled traffic jams for hours on the journey, which better transport planning and cleaner vehicles can provide. All of these things are part of my identity, and they are all interconnected.
A Plan for Drivers isn’t going to fix things. What we actually need is a Plan for Getting Around – to work out how we can all move around to do the things we need to do in safe, efficient, non-polluting ways. We need a plan for every journey: a plan for pedestrians, cyclists, people who use public transport, those with mobility issues and drivers, because most of us use more than one way to get around.
What would this Plan for Getting Around focus on?
- Decent pavements and dedicated cycle routes, so it’s safer to walk or wheel short journeys (a quarter of car journeys in England are under one mile).
- Regular, reliable and affordable public transport services, so we can commute to work easily.
- 20mph speed limits and other traffic calming measures in built-up areas, to create quieter, safer neighbourhood streets conducive to chat, play and active travel.
- Affordable clean vehicles to buy and hire, for those remaining journeys that can’t be walked, wheeled or travelled on public transport.
We should keep and do more of the things that are working and that people want – such as walking and cycling infrastructure, buses and integrated public transport. And we should honour existing commitments by providing fair funding to ensure the UK can meet the current Government’s target of half of journeys in towns and cities being walked or cycled by 2030. Doing this will help reduce congestion and make it easier for those journeys that do need to be travelled by car.
By focusing on drivers alone, we lose sight of a bigger, better vision. So let’s try and come together to create a Plan for Getting Around – one that everyone can get behind.