The UK's future transport systems – livechat best bits
A recent online live chat tried to work out what a future transport system for the UK will look like. Here’s a roundup of the best insights from our expert panel.
We recently ran a livechat on the Guardian public leaders network, where our expert panellists discussed what the UK’s future transport systems will look like. Some of the topics included:
But autonomous cars alone cannot will not solve the mobility problems. They should be integrated with a mass transit system which should remain the backbone of the city transport network
I think a real challenge here is what the business value is of these innovations. We know that by providing information – such as walking times for examples (and we see maps of these used really effectively during the tube strikes) – people can change their behaviour. But could a small startup make money from, say, an app that communicated walking times? So are we dependent on government or local authorities to fund these initiatives?
I agree Philippa, but I think walking needs to be considered separately to cycling as otherwise cycling tends to dominate. We saw this clearly with the Department for Transport consultation Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy – all the coverage and attention was on cycling. I also wish to see more cycling in our towns and cities – but realise that getting a non-cyclist to start cycling is a big ask, whereas the walking message is a simpler one – walk more. We need walking strategies and walking champions to redress the balance.
Related: Top 10 transport apps for smarter travel
The most exciting technologies should be those which make citizens’ mobility easy, efficient and affordable. So we think of course about autonomous vehicles for example as they will redefine the place of cars in the city and will have an impact in how teh city will look like in the longer term
Hello, my name is Gareth Blackett and I’m the Director of a new startup, Accessibility Solutions. We are developing ‘Accessibility as a Service’ as an offer to rural communities, but can MaaS-type sharing solutions be feasible in low density areas devoid of the benefits of agglomeration? I would like to hear the Panel’s responses to this question please?
Related: Stuck in the country: it’s not just cities that need decent transport
Would we be better off investing in reducing commute distance than increasing commuter capacity?
Source: Guardian Transport
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