h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's so simple I don't know why the government having thought of it before*

Ring-fence all the money that they're appalingly stiffing drivers for (fuel tax, road tax etc) and divert it into an intergrated public transport system. Only a tiny fraction of the Road Tax (originally designed to pay for road upkeep) goes towards transport, and effectively none of the outrageous tax on petrol.

However, this requires thinking, rather than just taxing, so successive governments have ignored it, prefering instead to privatise the rail, bus and now Tube networks, leaving them to be SEP's so that private corporations can squeeze every last drop of profit out before leaving the transport system to whither and die.

Offer enough people alternatives to cars and they'll not feel the need to use them, especially in cities. By alternatives, I mean clean and efficient tube/tram systems, well maintained roads, cycle paths on ALL roads, bus only lanes extended, fast efficient train systems and most of all PEOPLE WITH EXPERIENCE OF RUNING THEM ACTUALLY RUNNING THEM, not Mickey Mouse companies like Crapita.

It'll cost a lot of money of course. But a lot of money is what is being taken from the pockets of motorists and the only people feeling the benefit are company directors and PPP shareholders.

Rant over... As you were...