As with every General Election I can remember, transport issues get roundly ignored by the politicians as they focus on ‘bigger’ stuff – healthcare, education, immigration, etc. But I would argue that given the cold winter we’ve just had, working out better ways to keep Britain moving 365 days a year should be right up there.
Not surprisingly, because it’s fresh in peoples’ minds, the state of our roads is the single largest transport issue. That’s the finding of a survey by the RAC Foundation pressure group. It said 77 per cent of the British people believe potholes and damaged roads are a big problem in their area. It also found that, at 52 per cent, the level of dissatisfaction with highway maintenance is at its highest level for a decade. Given 10 options to choose from, only 3 per cent of respondents regard planning and building a new high speed rail line between London and Birmingham as a priority.
Car magazines are full of ‘what our readers want from the next Government’ – I’ve written one myself – but you can bet your bottom dollar that come the morning of 7 May, transport won’t be high on anyone’s agenda. We pay billions of pounds a year to the Government in fuel duty and car tax, yet only a tiny percentage of it gets spent on transport. That’s the biggest thing I’d like to change.
Breakdown Cover from 
