TRANSPORT BILL DOGMA CLOUDS BIRMINGHAM'S METRO BENEFITS

The author examines the relevance of the bill to the issues facing a metropolitan transport authority where proposals are largely concerned with reducing costs. Cost cutting usually means income and benefit; investment is needed particularly in Birmingham where 95 per cent of public transport journeys take place on 2200 buses. Because of the consequent congestion, the city centre does not dominate the West Midlands in terms of shopping, employment and other activities. The situation is compared to that of Frankfurt and Lyon where new rail systems are flourishing. The city functions more like a collection of smaller settlements with activities dispersed between several centres; these may collectively fail to attract some of the more important facilities which a large city could. Environmental improvements such as pedestrianisation and other aesthetic benefits invariably accompany a new transport system. Investment in infrastructure is not as costly as it is made to appear; and in fact much of the investment never leaves the treasury. Published costs include national insurance and income tax contributions of employer and employee and a range of other taxes. (TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00396303
• Corporate Authors:

  Specialist and Professional Press

  Surrey House, 1 Throwley Way
  Sutton, Surrey SM1 4QQ,   England 
• Authors:
  • SIMPSON, B
• Publication Date: 1985-9-5

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 12-14
• Serial:
  • SURVEYOR
  • Volume: 165
  • Issue Number: 4860
  • Publisher: Hemming Group, Limited
  • ISSN: 0039-6303

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus transit; Cost control; Employers; Public transit; Taxation; Transit operating agencies; Transportation planning; Transportation policy; Urban renewal; Urban transportation
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom; United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Bus services; National transportation policies
• ITRD Terms: 224: Cost; 1556: Legislation; 192: Local authority; 744: Public transport; 304: Suburbs; 1191: Underground railway; 8119: United Kingdom; 313: Urban area
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00457359
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 27 2004 10:01PM