💷 Charge!

Good day my good friend.

This week has been very much an out and about kind of week. As well as the usual work stuff, pounding the rails has taken me to such places as London (where I attended the excellent Mobility Meetup organised by Sarah Barnes and Matt Clark - see below), Leeds, Milton Keynes, and even catching up with friends in Cambridge. I remember the days when I used to do this 5 days a week. How in the heck did I do it?

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Its the time of the Budget, and that means it is silly season for policy tittle-tattle. But this week, I think the transport planning equivalent of a nuclear bomb went off, as it was rumoured that this year’s Budget that owners of electric vehicles could face a flat 3 pence per mile charge for driving on UK roads.

This is something that the transport planning sector has been wanting for literal decades.

It is tempting to think that this announcement is a result of senior policy makers in the Department for Transport suddenly, after many good years of aborted opportunities to develop a national road user charging scheme, now have the courage of their convictions to deliver national road user charging – at least to a limited degree. However, the truth of the matter is the reasons for this are more cynical than this.

It has been known for some time that as electric vehicles take off, the Treasury has a problem. The consistent income generated from fuel duty is already being bitten into by the increased uptake of electric vehicles. In fact, fuel duty collected peaked just before COVID-19, and has in fact reduced since then. Though, for reasons unknown to me, government forecasts income from duties to increase sharply in the late 2020s.

In some respects, this has forced the hand of ministers. Especially for Chancellors who stake their reputation on being fiscally prudent and balancing the books. A steady consumption-related taxation is dwindling – ironically as a result of government policies. With richer people much more likely to buy electric vehicles – especially in the absence of a strong second hand electric vehicle marker – it makes sense instinctively to levy charges against the rich in this way.

The inevitable initial reaction of people has been uproar against this unfair tax on the poor motorist. It might be easy to buckle under such a tirade, and many politicians have done so in the past. However, once seen in the cold light of family finances, I am willing to say that such a controversy will quickly blow over.

From my rough calculations, the financial equity case for such an approach is somewhat questionable. Taking average driving distances of electric vehicles (c.8700 miles) and petrol vehicles (c.8300), current and proposed duty levels (52.95p per litre for fuel duty, 3p per mile for electric vehicles), and averages of miles per litre of fuel consumed (38.6 miles per litre of petrol), electric vehicle owners will pay MORE in duties compared to petrol cars - £262.20 per year for electric vehicles, and £113.77 in duty per year for petrol vehicles.

But, given that fuel duty represents a smaller percentage of the cost of petrol since fuel duty was held, and that at-home charging is now cheaper than even filling up with petrol at the pumps, it is fair to assume that despite this levy, electric vehicle owners are financially better off than petrol car owners. Considering that those who own electric vehicles are likely to be richer than the average family, the fact that those on lower incomes have to pay more overall hardly strikes as a fair deal.

The clever clogs at our universities have published the following excellent research. Where you are unable to access the research, email the author – they may give you a copy of the research paper for free.

How Autonomous Vehicles Can Affect Anomalies of Urban Transportation

TL:DR - Explores how deployment of autonomous vehicles may introduce or mitigate anomalies (e.g., congestion, route irregularities) in urban transport systems—new transport technologies.

Modelling Determinants of Autonomous Vehicle Utilization in Private and Shared Ownership Models

TL:DR - Analyses factors influencing uptake of autonomous vehicles across private vs shared ownership frameworks.

Modelling modal split for sustainable port‑hinterland transport: the case of the North Adriatic ports

TL:DR - Applies a modal‑split modelling approach to port‑hinterland freight and assesses road vs rail trade‑offs for sustainability.

Assessing public transport accessibility using GPS data

TL:DR - Uses long‑term GPS data to study destination accessibility by public transport—addresses equity and accessibility in mobility.

Using scenarios to address uncertainty in planning for sustainable mobility in small and medium‑sized Norwegian cities

TL:DR - Explores scenario‑based planning methods to manage uncertainty in sustainable mobility policy decisions in smaller cities.

Here are some articles showing that, despite the state of the world, good stuff is still happening in sustainable transport. So get your fix of positivity here.

Fifth phase of South Reading Bus Rapid Transit opens with new pedestrian & cycle bridge

Reading Borough Council has completed the latest phase of its BRT corridor on the A33, adding joined‑up bus lanes, new stops and a new pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Kennet. The upgrades remove pinch points for buses serving Kennet Island, Green Park and Mereoak Park & Ride, improving reliability and access to shops and jobs.

Another link completed on the Somerset Circle walking & cycling route

A new 1.3 km traffic‑free path from Hamwood Viaduct to Thrupe Lane is now open, filling a key gap on the 76‑mile Somerset Circle. Delivered with local partners and volunteers, the link provides a safer, scenic multi‑user route and better signed connections over the Mendip Hills.

“Cumberland Go” launches first phase of improved bus network

From 3 November, the council’s “Cumberland Go” programme rolled out new and enhanced routes operated by Reays and Stagecoach, with more frequent services and extended coverage across towns including Maryport, Cockermouth, Workington and Whitehaven. Phase one is subsidised for 12 months to boost access and affordability.

Year‑round late‑night public transport pilot for Belfast

Translink, backed by the NI Executive and Belfast City Council, is extending its popular festive late‑night services into a year‑round bus pilot operating every Friday and Saturday night from 28 November. Additional seasonal rail capacity will support the night‑time economy and provide safer, greener travel options after dark.

£1 bus fares pilot in Wales extended to 5–15 year‑olds

After a strong start for 16–21s, the £1 single/£3 day ticket pilot is now available to 5–15 year‑olds from 3 November, with nearly a quarter‑million discounted journeys already made. The scheme runs to August 2026 to encourage public transport use, reduce carbon and tackle transport poverty.

I’m posting this as I rode one of these new DLR trains last night. And they were great!

Last week, I managed to crunch my way through Steve Melia’s Roads, Runways, and Resistance - an excellent history of environmental and other protest moevments affecting UK transport policy. I cannot recommend this book enough, as it gives some fascinating insights into how protest movements actually change things.

I grew up watching the Battle of Twyford Down, the Newbury Bypass Protests, and Swampy on the news every evening. At the time, there was a very clear sense that the environmental movement was really shifting government policy. And it did for a while. But perhaps the movement’s biggest win is one we often take for granted - the Climate Change Act.

These links are meant to make you think about the things that affect our world in transport, and not just think about transport itself. I hope that you enjoy them.

Classic Foo Fighters fare is Learn to Fly. Great melodies in a pop-friendly fashion, giving hints that there is an old school rocker underneath. But I love this video. David Grohl seems to have all of the roles, and he nails each and every one of them. Look out for a young Jack Black at the start and end of the video.