Oh dear. The already low expectations of our new transport secretary sank further yesterday when, in an interview with the Evening Standard, Philip Hammond said that cycling in London appeared to be extremely dangerous and he would not contemplate it even though he lives barely a couple of miles away from the Department.
Hammond says he drives [...]
Archive of May, 2010
May
28
Come ride with me Phil
The hallmark of a good design is longevity and the internal combustion engine has survived decades with only relatively minor modifications. But the threat of peak oil and increasing legislation aimed at tackling climate change is forcing the motor industry to start seriously examining alternatives to fossil fuel.
The dominance of conventional petrol and diesel powered [...]
Building a high-speed rail line between London and the North of England was one of the few policy areas on which all three of the main political parties agreed during the recent UK election campaign. That was a complete turnaround from the previous election when the subject was barely mentioned and none of the parties [...]
This column was going to be an analysis of the new government’s likely position on rail policy and the prospects for the next few years. Fat chance. The voters having delivered the verdict which Mystic Wolmar predicted, the politicians at the time of writing are still in smoke-free rooms from which very little is emerging. [...]
Dear new transport secretary,
You poor sap. I wonder why on earth you have taken this job and I am sure you will soon, too once you are faced by hordes of angry rail passengers. You are in for nothing but trouble and then worse. Its bad enough on the roads and in the air but [...]