[sustran] Re: Fair Transport - comments

[Walter Hook]

Dear eric, 

 

Itdp will be submitting its own comments, so we would not want to be a party
to any group comments.  By the way, i agree the draft document doesn't
clearly lay out any vision of what role the world bank might play, but
overall i didn't see the document as anything to get worked up over.  Some
good language in there.  

 

Best

Walter 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: sustran-discuss-bounces+whook=itdp.org at list.jca.apc.org
[mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+whook=itdp.org at list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf
Of Eric.Britton
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 3:58 AM
To: sustran-discuss at jca.apc.org; Kyoto2020 at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [sustran] Fair Transport - comments

 

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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