p14 Columnist June12 9/6/09 17:18 Page 14
news comment
ttglive.com
Mike Pearse ITV News
“The political merry-go-round
continues. Out goes Mr Hoon
and in through the revolving
door comes Lord Adonis”
S
o yet another transport secretary at the top of that list. At a time when the industry
takes up the reins as the great is struggling it is nothing short of crazy to force
political merry-go-round continues. consumers to pay up to £240 in taxes to take a
Out goes Mr Hoon and in through the family of four away on a long-haul holiday. That
revolving door comes Lord Adonis. It brings to is an increase of £60 on the current levy. If it
five the number of different politicians in the leads to fewer people travelling, that can’t be
job in just the past three years. good for the trade and the jobs it supports.
And that is the problem. An endless succession The planned rise also comes as we all face
of top bods, in fact 13 in 20 years, is partly to paying more to support the bankrupt fund that
blame for our continued lack of long-term compensates travellers if holiday firms go bust.
transport policy. No sooner than one gets his Add to that more increases in fuel duty,
or her feet under the table than it’s time plus the urgency for another airport
for a change. runway in the south-east, and you
No one, it seems, has stayed in the job have the start of a long list of issues
long enough to implement a coherent to be challenged and debated with
policy. Each time we get the rhetoric the transport secretary.
that the new boss has to get to know The industry lobby groups and
the subjects before any decisions can organisations must waste no time in
be made, thus causing delays and doing all they can to influence and
policies to be pushed back. press home their case.
This is generally seen as poor for The transport secretary will be keen
everyone involved in the transport and to hear what people in the industry
travel industry. It means a whole new think. As rail minister, Lord Adonis
round of lobbying and arguments to recently spent three days travelling on
try to persuade the new transport our trains, seeing both the good and
chief what key policies should be the quite miserable state of some of our
adopted. stations. Now he has the top job we will
However, it could also be an see if he is persuaded to take any action.
opportunity to push even harder the The travel industry must push him to
many issues that are vital to influence examine the congestion at many of our
change. For example, it could be a golden airports and he must listen to the users,
opportunity to persuade the government to especially those who are likely to suffer
reverse damaging policies that will hit us all if they are forced to pay more. But be
hard – such as the proposed increases in the quick about it for the sake of us all.
cost of flying.
The hike in Air Passenger Duty has to be Mike Pearse, transport correspondent, ITV News
14 12.06.2009
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