Last fall, Mark Harper was appointed head of the Department of Transportation by Rishi Sunak. Photo: Paul Grover for The Telegraph
Councils should rethink unpopular anti-car schemes, the transport secretary said, warning that low-traffic (LTN) neighborhoods have turned «people against each other» and risk depriving voters of net zero.
< p>In an interview with The Telegraph, Mark Harper stated that he has stopped public funding for projects «that relate to … banning cars or creating hardships for motorists.»
He suggested that local authorities should now consider abandoning existing LTNs if they are unpopular and have been implemented without sufficient consultation with local residents.
Mr Harper separately said he has ordered officials to look at how the UK can imitate Japan. «ekinaka» — shopping complexes at stations — to help bring people back to the rail network and attract new investment.
He also insisted that the plans of the railroad companies to close almost all ticket counters at stations would be in the best interests of passengers, as staff would be based in the concourses and platforms instead.
To LTN, Mr. Harper said: “And some of them were implemented during the pandemic and there were no consultations because of that. Therefore, I certainly think that local authorities should consider whether the schemes they implement really enjoy public support in their regions.
“Ultimately, the task of the government is not to micromanage each district — this should be decided by local authorities.
«For local authorities that have schemes that weren't popular were very very well supported, then it would probably be wise to review them again.»
Mr Harper says «local authorities need to think about whether the schemes they have put in place really enjoy public support in their areas.» Photo: Heathcliff O'Malley for The Telegraph
He adds: «The schemes we supported with departmental funds are designed to improve choice, not to ban cars or create hardship for motorists.»
Mr Harper fears these schemes have radicalized groups of people opposing cycling and risk provoking opposition to broader goals such as achieving zero income.
He said: “One of the things that struck me about some of the way these schemes were delivered is that they then created a group of people who then opposed cycling and walking. It seems to me that it's a bit of a weird state of affairs if you end up doing it in a way that actually creates people who don't like cycling and walking. Playing different groups of people against each other is a very futile exercise.”
When Rishi Sunak appointed 53-year-old Harper, a former chief whip, as head of the Department of Transportation last fall, the job may have been something of a poisoned bowls.
Passenger traffic on the railroads has been decimated by Covid and the ongoing work on home culture, hastening a crisis in the UK network stemming from years of underfunding. Mr. Harper also had to contend with the rising costs and delays associated with High Speed 2 and struggled to comply with the 2030 ban on the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles.
Mass strikes exacerbated the department's problems
Adding to the department's woes last year was the biggest wave of strikes in a generation, led by the militant Railroad, Marine and Transportation Workers (RMT) union.
Mr. roads and attract those who do not even plan to travel. He also believes there is potential for building houses around stations, modeled on the 67-acre redevelopment around King's Cross station in north London.
“If you look at Japanese stations, as I was in Japan recently, they have a huge amount of retail and hospitality offerings,” Mr. Harper said. “They are very busy. In fact, people go to them not only to travel, but also to take advantage of these other opportunities.
“And we want to explore if there are opportunities to increase revenue for the rail network, as well as increase attendance, make them busier, give people a better experience.”
He added, “If I look at what was available at some of the stations in Japan, they weren’t just shops for servicing travel necessities, there were a lot more on offer. There were also many eateries and they were very busy places. And that's part of the revenue model of their railroad companies.
“[We] are talking to countries that are recognized as very successful in this area and see if we can learn something from them, but obviously taking into account the specific experience of the UK.”
Regarding the possibility of construction properties around existing rail yards, Mr. Harper said: “I think people generally recognize that the development of Kings Cross St. Pancras has been very successful. He's looking to see if there's more room for things that are good from a transportation standpoint, but also part of the development and improvement of local areas. It's one of the things we want to explore.»
Mick Lynch, Secretary General of the RMT, joins the picket line outside Euston Station in June. Photo: Getty Images Europe
Mr Harper, who was one of the leading opponents of the Tory lockdown during Boris Johnson's premiership, described how an infusion of private capital from firms interested in retail schemes and station ownership could help improve the network .
“You have to try to get more people on the rail network, which means innovative private companies are offering great deals, making it easier to sell tickets, making it more attractive and increasing the number of customers. using it.»
«We support the direction of travel»
One of the changes causing the most conflict with unions at the moment is a plan announced by rail operators last week to close almost all ticket offices at train stations, with staff currently at tables in lobbies and on platforms.
Insisting that the plans are «industry suggestions, not ours,» Mr. Harper added, «We support the direction.»
Plans, he says, “react to how customers behave. If you look closely, over the past decade, the number of cash desks has changed very little. But the way people buy tickets has changed a lot. Thus, only one out of 10 tickets is now purchased through the box office. Most people buy them online or through ticket machines.”
Mr Harper dismissed union claims that the proposals would make the rail network less safe, saying: “The British Transport Police have made it clear that having staff at the ticket counters is not conducive to safety. The change that was made to the London Underground by removing the ticket office is not literally evidence that it made passengers any less safe, and in fact there is some evidence that increasing the number of people in the station does improve safety.
«I think actually getting people to the station will help customers rather than not.»
Meanwhile, RMT accused the train operators of not making a new offer. put an end to the long strike over pay and working conditions.
Mr Harper insisted he had «changed the tone» of the confrontation with the unions in his nine months in office, but added: «The dispute from the train operator continues because Aslef and RMT management are offering wages to their members.»
Regarding the Sadiq Khan (Ulez) Ultra Low Emission Zone, Mr. Harper suggested that the mayor be reckoned with in next year's elections in the capital, stating, “I have no right to block the scheme. It's the mayor's powers delegated to him… I think the voters should hold him accountable.”
The government's 2030 ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars is already here, he says. stay.
Sitting in his ministerial office between the Union Jack and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II embarking on a royal tour, Mr Harper, who campaigned for the Conservative leadership in 2019, said: “When I was growing up, I remember the comments Mrs. Thatcher in 1988 when she made it clear that we Conservatives have no title to the land.»
He insisted: «We have, I think she put it, a full restoration of the lease , and we must fully comply with the terms of this lease.”
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