They have escaped severe censure from opposition parties as most opposition parties are in sympathy with the direction in which the government is heading. Of nearly 600 road schemes put forward in 1989 National Roads Programme, there are now fewer than 150 left. The government is also committed to making road transport bear the real costs of travel. All parties are considering a range of different schemes to manage demand. Schemes range from infrastructural investment to improve rail networks, penalising inefficient cars, road tolls, park and ride schemes, 'safe routes' to schools, 'small vehicle' incentives, to efforts to encourage walkers and advanced technological solutions like traffic advisory systems and Autonomous Intelligent Cruise Control which allows cars to travel close together at high speed.
Innovative solutions are well and good, but the underlying problem is funding.
The government's approach has been to encourage the private sector to back new transport schemes. But private investors demand high rates of return, and if faced with the sort of restrictive operational obligations that satisfy all users of public transport, may choose to invest their money elsewhere. Labour have opted for a mix of private and public funding, but may be asking too much of private investors when asking them to back networks that offer little prospect of return. Nor will technology be the palliative that many politicians are hope it will be. Technological solutions require research and development funding and a consensus on standards.