Risking stating the obvious I suppose: the thing that strikes me about transport in this country is that the public transport is mostly woeful, private motoring is the only way of getting around (which supports the economy), and yet despite the significant problems we have with road congestion, nothing really meaningful is done to encourage people to make fewer and shorter journeys. Here, I'm considering the advantages in terms of quality of life as well as reduced cost to the individual or corporation. Planning restrictions prevent the natural development of additional housing close to centres of employment, increasing uncertainty over job security means people are less inclined to move to be near their work, house prices cause many to commute long distances from good homes in areas they find affordable to their jobs, and HMG makes huge sums of money out of all of this misery. Stamp duty is another factor, inclining people not to live closer to their jobs, when they move from one employer to another.
If something could be done to get even a small proportion of those who make the longest commutes to live closer to their work, great good would be done to them and us. Of course, this would reduce tax take, so... I'm just considering the very widest picture, rather than simply fuel prices, so apologies of anyone thinks the thread has drifted.
