ABSTRACT
Transport is a major industry in itself providing employment for millions of people throughout the world. A discussion of transport policy and in particular, some effort to predict the future patterns which policy is likely to take seems particularly apposite in the mid-1980s. Transport policy is itself influenced by broader movements in overall political attitudes and economic and social policies. Transport is only possible because of the availability of a massive and sophisticated network of track and terminals — infrastructure which in some cases, such as ports and roads, has its roots sunk deep in history. Local or metropolitan authorities have powers over a range of urban transport services and, in the UK at least, have a remit to co-ordinate policy across them. Even if one could sensibly consider completely replacing the infrastructure of transport, future policy is still likely to be heavily influenced by the past. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts in this book.
