At #utsg2023 (a UK transport conference in Cardiff), and had one of the best and most relevant opening talks I’ve been to - from Lee Waters, Wales Deputy Minister for Climate Change and also Transport - because they've put transport under climate change.
Among other interesting things - they've just changed the default urban speed limit in Wales to 20mph rather than 30. Done a major review of road infrastructure investment.
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Someone asked about closing Cardiff Airport and he said that's not on the table yet - still perceived as too many economic + 'national prestige' reasons not to stop subsidising air travel until the rest of the UK does
In his opinion, in a state of climate emergency, investment in buses is going to give much more climate reduction per dollar, quicker, than investment in rail in Britain
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@jroper He can say that, but I'm never taking a bus instead of a train. Would rather fly (and I don’t much like flying).
@timrichards well, British rail is fine at catering to people like you at the moment - people with choices who can pay 120 pounds for a fare or who have flexibility to find cheaper ones in advance. But there is a lot of unmet demand over that, and massively expanding the capacity of their rail network would be very expensive.
