ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the way in which different stakeholder groups have engaged in the transport policy discourse. These stakeholder groups focus mainly on the environmental storylines, and the social virtues of public transport, but have also countered the pro-roads storylines directly. The pro-roads groups command a particular power in the transport policy discourse by virtue of their longevity, their membership numbers and their income. The sample of years selected coincided with the release of major State policy documents when commentary relevant to transport policy was likely to be more evident. The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV)'s promotion of the idea that 'we can have both roads and public transport' was a clever political move when roads have always taken the largest share of government investment funds available for transport. The setting of a target to use public transport one day a week was an interesting contrast to the usual storyline that 'Private cars are essential to modern life'.
