“Should we really be generating bus journeys“
A simple question which demonstrates the complexity of all this.
Remember the old slogan “is your journey really necessary”? Perhaps not remembered from when it was first used! Bit surprised it hasn’t been revived for Covid times.
After (?) Covid there will be people travelling less and others travelling as much as before, with others intent on even more mileage.
Should there be limits? Based on carbon use?
Let’s artificially split travel into work, leisure and holidays.
Shopping can be in work and leisure.
Let’s ‘allow’ one holiday a year - carbon neutral of course.
For the rest, is the idea to reduce travel generally or just reduce car use - especially single user?
If the latter (assuming a similar number of journeys are to be anticipated) then it requires good PT and better walk/cycle infrastructure - at least as road reallocation, not necessarily much more tarmac/tree removal.
So emission free buses? Fully electrified railway (this is SG policy - or perhaps aspiration)?
Free buses? A free annual PT mileage allowance for all residents of Scotland?
All possible decisions, largely decided by Gov(s).
This is not about ‘green’, even less the Green Party.
It’s like Covid - the ‘balance’ between ‘health’ and ‘economy’.
The ‘transport balance’ is between ‘personal liberty’ and (perhaps) a more pleasant environment and ways of getting around.
Of course there are no such simple ‘balances’.
The Climate Emergency won’t wait until politicians work out what the public will accept.
Covid ought to lead to ‘doing the unthinkable’ - carbon neutral next year with massive investment (like for the vaccines) more lockdowns (or at least travel restrictions)???
But no, more of before. Everyone has had enough inconveniences for a while.
No alternative, no future (maybe).
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