How to create an appearance of progress while doing nothing. By George Monbiot, published in the Guardian 12th September 2024 Let’s talk about perceptionware. Perceptionware is technology whose main purpose is to create an impression of action. Whether it will ever work at scale is less important, in some cases entirely beside the point. If […]
Transport
Concern is growing over a Conservative-led council's opaque plans to privatise Cornwall Newquay Airport. It’s part of a bigger picture across England
A landmark study on the LTN policy finds that Government figures have latched onto cynical fear-mongering
Commons Committee criticises the costs of the remaining high-speed rail link and the Government for fixing the figures
Privatisation and austerity don’t cut costs: they just pass them on to us. By George Monbiot, published in the Guardian 12th January 2024 The weather was worse than forecast. By the time I reached Bristol, at 5pm, all trains to the south-west had been cancelled, because of rising flood waters. It was no one’s fault […]
Renationalising the railways remains highly popular amid transport delays, cancellations, expensive fares and strikes.
Councils are at the whim of multinational transport firms when it comes to local transport
How do HS2 and other white elephants get commissioned? It’s clientelism – the subtle form of corruption. By George Monbiot, published in the Guardian 28th September 2023 In 2010, when a high-speed rail line from London to the north – HS2 – was proposed by the outgoing Labour government, I wrote an article arguing that […]
Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson privately backed the same road-pricing schemes the Conservatives are now attacking the London mayor over.
Sadiq Khan has faced relentless flak for the Ultra Low Emissions Zone. But it wasn't his idea.