Transport policies in the information age-Moving cities on Wheels and Wires

Today, many people think we are on the threshold of another ‘transport revolution’-one based upon the power of information technology. If this is true, history suggests that it will have profound impacts on the economic and social fabric of the city. When looking at these impacts, it is important to recognise that the world is changing dramatically. At the dawn of this ‘new transport revolution’, cities face an uncertain future marked by the decline of the nation state, greater social demands for a better environment and the spread of market forces into public services. This paper offers ideas of the ‘new transport revolution’ in our cities. It is based upon a research project called ‘Wheels and Wires’, which looked into the public policy issues raised by the use of information technology in road transport. The present work was addressed to the U.K. situation, however, the paper looked at developments and issues in the general framework of the European Community.