Transport 2000
Encyclopedia
The Campaign for Better Transport (also CBT, formerly Transport 2000) is a UK
advocacy
group that promotes better bus and rail
services and for supportive policies and for less expenditure on road building. It draws together the views of a wide range of organisations including conservation and environmental groups, community groups and trade unions and operates as the Campaign for Better Transport Ltd, of which Michael Palin
is the president, and as the Campaign for Better Transport Charitable Trust (a registered charity) of which Jenny Agutter
, Steve Norris and Tracy Marchioness of Worcester are patrons. Stephen Joseph is Executive Director.
was the possible closure of a large part of the rail network. The National Union of Railwaymen
instigated a meeting with other concerned parties where they agreed to form Transport 2000 with 14 affiliated organisations, many of which are still associated with the organisation.
Michael Palin was appointed as chairman in 1986 and then as president in 1988, the same year that Stephen Joseph was appointed as Executive Director. Joseph received an OBE for "services to transport and the environment" in 1996.
In 1998 Transport 2000 was part of a coalition of organisations which jointly launched the Slower Speeds Initiative
which campaigns in favour of traffic calming, lower speeds and better enforcement of existing speed limits. Although a founding member, the organisation now focuses less on speed reduction in favour of other campaigns.
In 2006 The Times
reported that Michael Palin was facing moves to oust him as president because of his passion for long-distance air travel. They calculated that he had flown more than a quarter of a million miles in the previous 17 years while making his six TV series. The organisation denied any such suggestion saying "Michael Palin brings popular appeal, wisdom and a sense of proportion to the transport problems we as a society face today". The Daily Telegraph
also covered the story in their motoring section, initially claiming that over half of the organisation's funding came from the bus and rail sector, but then correcting the figure as 20%.
In 2007 the organisation changed its name to Campaign for Better Transport and re-focused its campaigns and appointed Rebecca Lush
as 'Roads and Climate campaigner'. Lush was a long-time roads campaigner and founder of Road Block, an organisation which supported local groups that were resisting road schemes and which became a project within the organisation at the same time. In 2008 Richard George was appointed to cover Lush's role during her maternity leave; George had previously been Campaigns Coordinator at CTC
, the national cyclists' organisation and had co-founded Plane Stupid
in 2005.
emissions by offering less carbon intensive alternatives to further road building and to the growth of aviation and associated expansion of airports. The organisation works both at the national level and also supports local groups.
CBT is affiliated to the following organisations: Amicus
, Association of Community Rail Partnerships, Bus Users UK, Campaign to Protect Rural England, Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales, Civic Trust
, Community Transport Association, Campaign for National Parks, Cycle Campaign Network, Cyclists Touring Club, Environmental Transport Association
, Friends of the Earth
, GMB, Light Rail Transit Association
, Living Streets, National Council on Inland Transport, National Federation of Women’s Institutes, National Trust
, Railfuture, Ramblers' Association, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
, SERA, Sustrans
, Town and Country Planning Association
, Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust
, WWF-UK, UK Noise Association and Youth Hostels Association.
Passenger Services, ASLEF, Chiltern Railways
, Ecology Building Society
, EWS
, Eurostar
, First Group, Freightliner
, Gloucestershire County Council, Go Ahead Group, Hertfordshire County Council
, Lush Ltd, National Express Group
, NedRailways
, Network Rail
, Nottinghamshire County Council, Passenger Transport Executive Group, Rail Freight Group, Railway Industry Association, Railway Forum, Reading Borough Council, RMT
, Serco Integrated Transport, Stagecoach
, Telford and Wrekin Borough Council, Transport for London
, Transdev
plc, TSSA and Unison
and Unite-Amicus.
, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Freshfield Foundation, George W Cadbury Charitable Trust, Gumby Corporation, Hillcote Trust, KeyMed Ltd, London Councils, Merseytravel
, Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation, Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts and Steel Charitable Trust.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
group that promotes better bus and rail
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
services and for supportive policies and for less expenditure on road building. It draws together the views of a wide range of organisations including conservation and environmental groups, community groups and trade unions and operates as the Campaign for Better Transport Ltd, of which Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
is the president, and as the Campaign for Better Transport Charitable Trust (a registered charity) of which Jenny Agutter
Jenny Agutter
Jennifer Ann "Jenny" Agutter is an English film and television actress. She began her career as a child actress in the mid 1960s, starring in the BBC television series The Railway Children and the film adaptation of the same book, before moving on to adult roles and relocating to Hollywood.She...
, Steve Norris and Tracy Marchioness of Worcester are patrons. Stephen Joseph is Executive Director.
History
Transport 2000 was formed in 1972 by various railway workers' unions and environmental pressure groups as a reaction to a newspaper disclosure that one of the options in a report for the Department of the EnvironmentSecretary of State for the Environment
The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...
was the possible closure of a large part of the rail network. The National Union of Railwaymen
National Union of Railwaymen
The National Union of Railwaymen was a trade union of railway workers in the United Kingdom. It an industrial union founded in 1913 by the merger of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants , the United Pointsmen and Signalmen's Society and the General Railway Workers' Union .The NUR...
instigated a meeting with other concerned parties where they agreed to form Transport 2000 with 14 affiliated organisations, many of which are still associated with the organisation.
Michael Palin was appointed as chairman in 1986 and then as president in 1988, the same year that Stephen Joseph was appointed as Executive Director. Joseph received an OBE for "services to transport and the environment" in 1996.
In 1998 Transport 2000 was part of a coalition of organisations which jointly launched the Slower Speeds Initiative
Slower Speeds Initiative
The Slower Speeds Initiative is a UK single issue coalition pressure group. It is an unincorporated association, controlled by its management committee, made up of representatives of its founder organisations...
which campaigns in favour of traffic calming, lower speeds and better enforcement of existing speed limits. Although a founding member, the organisation now focuses less on speed reduction in favour of other campaigns.
In 2006 The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reported that Michael Palin was facing moves to oust him as president because of his passion for long-distance air travel. They calculated that he had flown more than a quarter of a million miles in the previous 17 years while making his six TV series. The organisation denied any such suggestion saying "Michael Palin brings popular appeal, wisdom and a sense of proportion to the transport problems we as a society face today". The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
also covered the story in their motoring section, initially claiming that over half of the organisation's funding came from the bus and rail sector, but then correcting the figure as 20%.
In 2007 the organisation changed its name to Campaign for Better Transport and re-focused its campaigns and appointed Rebecca Lush
Rebecca Lush
Rebecca Lush is an environmental activist who was influential during the 1990s and early 2000s when she helped organise a number of major UK road protests including those against the M3 Extension at Twyford Down, the M11 link road and the Newbury bypass...
as 'Roads and Climate campaigner'. Lush was a long-time roads campaigner and founder of Road Block, an organisation which supported local groups that were resisting road schemes and which became a project within the organisation at the same time. In 2008 Richard George was appointed to cover Lush's role during her maternity leave; George had previously been Campaigns Coordinator at CTC
Cyclists' Touring Club
CTC and the UK's national cyclists' organisation are the trading names of the Cyclists' Touring Club.CTC is the United Kingdom's largest cycling membership organisation. It also has member groups in the Republic of Ireland...
, the national cyclists' organisation and had co-founded Plane Stupid
Plane Stupid
Plane Stupid is a UK-focused group of environmental protesters who state their aim as wanting to see an end to airport expansion for what it sees as "unnecessary and unsustainable" flights. The organisation has no formal hierarchy, leader, or media figurehead. It is a loose association of...
in 2005.
Campaigns
Since its relaunch in 2007, the organisation has focused on three major campaign areas:-"Improving public transport"
Promotes improved and more affordable bus and rail services, pointing out that many are unsatisfactory and do not offer a viable and attractive alternative to the car. It offers a range of specific measures to improve bus and rail services."Reducing traffic"
Campaigns for reduced traffic in the areas where people live, shop and visit citing improved health and wellbeing. Advocates that streets should be prioritised for pedestrians and cyclists, promotes initiatives that reduce car use and speeds (mainly in builit-up areas), and for reduced numbers of lorries."Tackling climate change"
Challenges transport schemes with high associated climate changeClimate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
emissions by offering less carbon intensive alternatives to further road building and to the growth of aviation and associated expansion of airports. The organisation works both at the national level and also supports local groups.
Other activities
The organisation in a member of the 'Freight on Rail' partnership.CBT is affiliated to the following organisations: Amicus
Amicus
Amicus was the United Kingdom's second-largest trade union, and the largest private sector union, formed by the merger of Manufacturing Science and Finance, the AEEU agreed in 2001, and two smaller unions, UNIFI and the GPMU...
, Association of Community Rail Partnerships, Bus Users UK, Campaign to Protect Rural England, Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales, Civic Trust
Civic Trust
The Civic Trust of England was a charitable organisation founded in 1957. It ceased operations in 2009 and went into administration due to lack of funds/...
, Community Transport Association, Campaign for National Parks, Cycle Campaign Network, Cyclists Touring Club, Environmental Transport Association
Environmental Transport Association
The Environmental Transport Association is a United Kingdom breakdown and road rescue company, but unlike the Automobile Association or RAC plc which are perceived as pro-car, the ETA aims to raise awareness of the impact that transport has on the environment and help individuals and organisations...
, Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth International is an international network of environmental organizations in 76 countries.FOEI is assisted by a small secretariat which provides support for the network and its agreed major campaigns...
, GMB, Light Rail Transit Association
Light Rail Transit Association
The Light Rail Transit Association is a non-profit organisation whose purpose is to advocate and encourage research into the retention and development of light rail and tramway/streetcar systems...
, Living Streets, National Council on Inland Transport, National Federation of Women’s Institutes, National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, Railfuture, Ramblers' Association, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Bird Notes and News was first published in April 1903.The title changed to 'Bird Notes' in 1947. In the 1950s, there were four copies per year . Each volume covered two years, spread over three calendar years...
, SERA, Sustrans
Sustrans
Sustrans is a British charity to promote sustainable transport. The charity is currently working on a number of practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport, to give people the choice of "travelling in ways that benefit their health and the environment"...
, Town and Country Planning Association
Town and Country Planning Association
The Town and Country Planning Association is England's oldest environmental charity. It was founded as the Garden Cities Association in 1899 by Ebenezer Howard, initially to promote the development of Garden Cities...
, Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust
Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is a conservation charity in the United Kingdom concerned with the protection and sympathetic management of native woodland heritage.-History:...
, WWF-UK, UK Noise Association and Youth Hostels Association.
Finances
Its income was £900,000 in 2006-2007, coming from charitable trusts, transport operators, transport authorities, trade unions and individual donors.Sponsors of the limited company in 2006-2007
CBT acknowledges the following organisations as sponsors of its limited company: ACIS, ArrivaArriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
Passenger Services, ASLEF, Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
, Ecology Building Society
Ecology Building Society
Ecology Building Society is a Building Society in the United Kingdom. Established in 1981, the Ecology is based in West Yorkshire, and has over 10,000 open accounts. It is a member of the Building Societies Association....
, EWS
EWS
DB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British...
, Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
, First Group, Freightliner
Freightliner
Freightliner can refer to* Freightliner Trucks, a heavy vehicle manufacturer in the United States* Freightliner Group Limited, a European rail-freight operator* Freight liner , describing a cargo ship operating to a repeating schedule...
, Gloucestershire County Council, Go Ahead Group, Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hertfordshire, in England, the United Kingdom. It currently consists of 77 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, which has 55 councillors, 17 Liberal Democrats, versus 3 Labour...
, Lush Ltd, National Express Group
National Express Group
National Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
, NedRailways
Abellio (transport company)
Abellio is a public transit operator in Germany which operates both bus and rail networks. The headquarters of the company are in Essen. Abellio Germany is part of the Abellio Group , the international expansion arm of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen.-History:Abellio was formed by the Essen public...
, Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
, Nottinghamshire County Council, Passenger Transport Executive Group, Rail Freight Group, Railway Industry Association, Railway Forum, Reading Borough Council, RMT
RMT
RMT is an abbreviation for:*Regie voor Maritiem Transport, Belgian, state owned ferry company.*National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, a United Kingdom trade union*Real-money trading, a type of virtual economy...
, Serco Integrated Transport, Stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
, Telford and Wrekin Borough Council, Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
, Transdev
Transdev
Transdev was a major international public transport group based in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris, France and operating in several countries. Originally created as Société centrale pour l'équipement du territoire in 1955 and developing transportation activities since 1973, Transdev was a subsidiary...
plc, TSSA and Unison
Unison
In music, the word unison can be applied in more than one way. In general terms, it may refer to two notes sounding the same pitch, often but not always at the same time; or to the same musical voice being sounded by several voices or instruments together, either at the same pitch or at a distance...
and Unite-Amicus.
Sponsors of the charitable trust in 2006-2007
CBT acknowledges the following organisations as sponsors of its charitable trust: Department for TransportDepartment for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Freshfield Foundation, George W Cadbury Charitable Trust, Gumby Corporation, Hillcote Trust, KeyMed Ltd, London Councils, Merseytravel
Merseytravel
Merseytravel Merseytravel Merseytravel (MPTE, or Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive, is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England...
, Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation, Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts and Steel Charitable Trust.