Stop exploiting transport users

It is a conclusion that Rotherham-born Justine Secretary, the Transport Secretary, must heed. She may only have been appointed five months ago, but the exploitation of the travelling public has to stop.

Just because most people are compelled to use the car, or public transport, each day does not immune the Government from ensuring that the nation’s infrastructure can withstand the pressures of an increasingly transient population.

With rail fares and fuel prices at record levels, this should be a golden era for transport in Britain. Yet, while the Department for Transport has to accept its share of budget cuts, the infrastructure improvements underway – such as the A1 widening in North Yorkshire – are still a poor return when travelling costs are now amongst the highest in the world.

There are two issues that Ms Greening needs to prioritise. First, it is wrong that Network Rail – the organisation responsible for the upkeep of the railways – is virtually exempt from proper scrutiny. It may technically be a private firm, but it still receives £3bn a year in public subsidies and is regularly blamed for poorly planned engineering work that causes widespread disruption.

Likewise it appears that this Government does not understand the poor state of Britain’s roads following a proliferation in the number of pot holes.

Ms Greening will contend that this is a local authority matter. Yet, while she is right, town halls simply do not have the resources – the repair bill in Yorkshire alone has been estimated at £700m. The consequence? Motorists having to fork out for additional repairs to the cars because of the damage inflicted by poorly maintained roads.

This simply is not good enough when peak period rail fares, and fuel duty, are rising relentlessly. And while Ms Greening is having to contend with years of under-investment, there must be full accountability over every aspect of transport expenditure – and a guarantee that extra revenue is ring-fenced so it can be spent on long-overdue improvements.