If it isn’t planned properly, the best transport system isn’t much use. And if it is planned badly, transport can cause a great deal of damage, especially in the countryside. A lot of rural public transport is far too limited, in areas where people cannot easily cycle and walk to essential services – and where speeding traffic makes the roads dangerous in any case.
Our viewBadly planned transport can damage the landscape, reduce the amount of available land for growing food, cause noise, light and air pollution, endanger local people, cut communities apart, impact on the flood plains and the water table, damage wildlife and natural habitats, encourage development to sprawl along road corridors and increase the amount of litter in the area.Walking, cycling and public transport are all sustainable forms of transport which we need to be able to use as much as possible. We believe it is not enough just to encourage people to travel in this way – sustainable transport should be the easiest option for all of us. It should cost less, it should take less time and it should be the most convenient.And this can be made to happen. Changes to parking provision, speed limits, taxation and the way space is allotted on the road can all make a significant difference.
The issues
Making transport better
Rural buses improve access to vital services
Photo: © Larry Warr
Transport isn’t just a matter of building new roads or railway lines. It isn’t even about creating new bus routes or cycle lanes. Transport is usually just a means to an end – it gets us from one place to another. We need the places where we live to be planned and organised in a way that puts new housing, jobs, shops and services within easy walking distance.
