Blueprint 5

The British government's road building programme and other transport policies have provoked outrage throughout the country. Recently, new evidence has come to light regarding the impact of benzene emissions from road transport on the incidence of asthma and the possible toll of particulate matter from diesel engines on human health. Road transport is one sector of the UK economy in which virtually everything has gone wrong. In this book, David Pearce and his colleagues explain in detail why previous policy has resulted in too much pollution, too much congestion, too much investment in 'profitable' roads and too little investment in public transport. The book provides a detailed examination of the issues, and argues that without a fundamental change in policy it is inevitable that the transport sector will continue to impose increasing costs on the natural environment, human health and the economy. It quantifies the external costs of road transport, and suggests new measures, such as road pricing and financial incentives, to pave the way to a sustainable transport system.