Chapter 1: Introduction

The community has always viewed transport with mixed feelings. The Romans banned traffic in cities at night to reduce noise, and Britain made some unfortunate walk in front of early cars to give warning of their approach. Our concern withtraffic has perhaps become more acute in the modern era – indeed, some commentators have likened modern transport to “industry on wheels.” One reason for this is that the long-standing concerns with the impact of transport on the local environment have extended to more global concerns as technology has developed.

The trouble is that transport provides the technological means to facilitate movement of people and goods, and people not surprisingly like that. But it is also at the center of growing concerns about environmental degradation in the form of air pollution, global warming, noise, and safety. Combined with traffic congestionin major conurbations at seaports, at airports, and on the roads, the environmental effects of transportation are regularly cited in surveys as major contributors to the ills of twenty-first century society. Roads in particular, which provide the infrastructure for moving cars and trucks, have come under increasing criticism on environmental grounds. The question of whether they are the servants of technology has been raised, rather than whether they offer a positive opportunity to mould the environment.