London Banter - View Single Post - Heathrow queues not getting better in run up to Olympics

[email protected] · July 13th 12, 07:28 PM posted to uk.transport.london

In article ,
(Paul Corfield) wrote:

On Fri, 13 Jul 2012 02:26:43 -0500,
wrote:

In article ,
(Paul Corfield) wrote:

She identified it, Cameron pulled a great con trick and now they're
back in power with the assistance of the lily livered custard yellow
party. Even nastier and more incompetent than the previous
incarnations.

If you don't realise they'd be a lot worse if they didn't have coalition
partners holding their nasties back you've not been listening.

And, to get back on topic, we have a government investing more in public
transport than at any time in recent decades.

I recognise that you will naturally defend the LDs and that's fair
enough. However this government is hopeless and vindictive and
unfair. The LDs have sided with the government to allow the
destruction of the health service and social services and to turn
education in Mr Gove's personal petrie dish. The Chancellor has no
idea about how to run the economy and can't design a budget that
warrants sustained examination. I don't think the electorate will
forgive Mr Clegg and his cohorts for what they have participated in. I
remain completely unconvinced that the LDs have really acted as any
sort of constraint and the Tories are simply playing a huge game to
prevent the LD's from getting any sort of electoral or democratic
reform which means the LD's support has been in vain. Still I guess
the LD MPs are enjoying exercising power regardless of the price the
rest of us are paying for their indulgence. I know you do not see it
like this Colin but I rather suspect you've got the minority view.

On the investment point then yes there has been some - I await the
publication of the HLOS next week. However strategically the
government has :-

1. No policy about improving bus transport. Their policies have
worsened financial support meaning cuts to services, increased fares
and more and more small independent businesses withdrawing from
operation. There is no policy either on resolving the mess around
competition policy which is now causing huge problems in respect of
First Group's disposals and the ability of anyone to take on those
routes.

2. There is no clear policy about rail franchising and how it should
work. The devil is in the detail and I think we are due to see some
very nasty issues emerge as bids come in for those franchises
currently on offer. The DfT will face a whole pile of problems around
affordability as it tries to shovel financial risk on to the private
sector. Services will have to be cut to pay for that. I think HS2
will continue to dog the government and the political risk is too
great for the Tories.

I think the government would do far better to create a rolling
programme of operational and investment improvement bringing together
capacity increases, better rolling stock and better operational
practice from NR and the TOCs. That would tie in some of the alliance
type stuff being done already plus things like electrification and
might create a forward programme of rolling stock build and
refurbishment that UK suppliers could win. A steady rolling programme
would give continuity of work if a sensible amount of money could be
allocated (i.e. that earmarked for HS2). Some of what has been
announced to date is positive but we need to see some coherent forward
planning, some difficult decisions taken (ie. scrap IEP and hS2) and
then some committed investment across the UK to deliver really good
rail services for everyone.

This does seem rather like "What have the Romans done for us?" rant. Aside
from the list of electrification schemes after a pathetic Labour record on
electrification, you are completely overlooking the inheritance this
government came into. Throw your mind back to what Mervyn King said before
the election about the job of governing afterwards.

And the NHS is not being destroyed, despite the rubbish spouted by the likes
of the Guardian. It will not be easy to sustain it through the huge
demographic changes that are coming but the Government is trying. The worst
bit about the current opposition is that they ignore what they themselves
said while in government about the sheer inability to sustain the public
spending programmes of the recent past in an ageing population.

3. Aviation policy remains a mess and a source of internal argument
for the Tories (Heathrow vs Boris Island). I think the government
want to expand Heathrow because of business pressure but are terrified
about the London and South East backlash. Having an angry Boris
wandering round is not what Cameron wants hence all the delays while
some botched fudge is worked out. I also think Justine Greening is in
an invidious position given her role as SofS but also MP for Putney.

Justine Greening is being very solid in support of her constituents in
Putney (who included my late mother). People in the transport industry are
rather annoyed with her because of it! Adrian Shooter let go about her at a
meeting I was at a few months ago.

--
Colin Rosenstiel