[sustran] Fair Transport - comments

[Eric.Britton]

Fair - "Characterized by honesty and justice : Free from fraud,
injustice, prejudice, or favoritism : Open, frank, honest; hence equal,
just, equitable, impartial., unprejudiced, ' (Webster's Unabridged, 2nd
edition)

 

(Dear Friends. We are getting some fine, very challenging comments,
challenges and even some support for this idea coming in over the
transom this week, some of which is reaching you here directly but all
food for thought - which you will shortly have here in more
comprehensive form with comments, along with an entirely redrafted set
of background notes on our strange new term (for poof of its strangeness
or at least unfamiliarity in this context, I propose you check it out on
Google, stripping it away of course from all (that is most off it) which
has nothing to do with our topic). In the meantime, I am pleased to
share with you the following note from my esteemed colleague Professor
Richard Allsop, who makes a point that I for one am not going to let
slip.  "Fair Transport" may in time perhaps serve to extend and fine
tune the phrase sustainable transport, but let me not kid myself. It is
not about to wipe it out.  But more on that shortly. ericbritton. And oh
yes, PS. One of the ideas behind this new phrase is to create a base for
some form of high profile Fair Transport Labeling. But that too in due
course.)

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Allsop 
Sent: Monday, May 01, 2006 11:08 PM
To: eric.britton at ecoplan.org
Subject: Fair Transport

 

 Dear Eric

I've read only your message and none of the broadcast responses, and am
replying only briefly to wish you well in this venture.

I think the idea is great, but do not see it as a substitute for
"sustainable transport", which to the extent that it means anything as
generally used (which I think is doubtful) it does not mean the same as
fair.   Seeking sustainability can be done fairly or unfairly, but there
is nothing about seeking sustainability that is inherently fair (except
perhaps between generations).  The fairness, if it is to be part of the
process at all, has to be imposed as a constraint, just as in pursuit of
other societal objectives.

As for "sustainable transport" as it has generally been used, it is a
misnomer for which in my own writing and speaking I have tried to
substitute "less unsustainable transport", which is at least achievable
within our lifetimes, unlike "sustainable transport" in any sense of the
word that I recognise.

So as a bonus additional to the massive importance of promoting equity
in transport, you efforts may have the beneficial side-effect of
reducing use of the term "sustainable transport".   Whether this will
increase the proportion of sense written by many of its misusers is
another matter!

All the best

Richard

Richard Allsop
Centre for Transport Studies
University College London
Gower Street
London WC1E 6BT
Phone   +44 20 7679 1555
Fax     +44 20 7679 1567
email   rea at transport.ucl.ac.uk
www.cts.ucl.ac.uk
________________________________________________________________________
_
ISTTT 17 London 2007

For details of the 17th International Symposium on Transportation and
Traffic Theory 
in London visit www.isttt.org 
________________________________________________________________________


 

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