Why is it when it comes to transport there seems to be a complete blind spot to investing in solutions that work for people, make financial sense and which minimise our impact on future generations?

There is much evidence about the need to increase physical activity, not just because it helps us live longer, but it also makes us happy and reduces wider costs on society.

Equally, it is self evident that buses, trams and trains use scarce space in towns and cities far more effectively than individual private cars or too many taxis roaming our streets.

Recently the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England published research showing new roads generally just fuel more traffic and congestion. A fact known about for nearly a century but continuously ignored. Yet still the Government continues with its mantra about roads and the economy. Talk about fake news, modern Government is at the heart of it.

It says it wants to double cycling and increase walking yet its actions speak the opposite. What’s more it’s spending billions on building new roads when local authorities are being starved of cash causing a £12 billion backlog in road maintenance.

At the same time carbon emissions from transport are rising when they should be falling and air pollution, mostly from traffic, is killing 40,000 people prematurely every year.

The question is why do we continuously get it wrong in this country? We cannot continue along this path or the legacy we will leave future generations will be untenable. We need to see new leaders emerge from the elections prepared to face up to these challenges, not continue with the current failed ideology.

  • Chris Todd is from Brighton and Hove Friends of the Earth