Will the herculean efforts of Lee Waters MS and colleagues in Wales help with the sisyphean task of effecting substantial positive change in the transport sector?

It was a great honour to be the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) speaker at today’s Wales National Transport Conference in Cardiff – jointly organised by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), CILT (UK) and CIHT. Thanks for having me keith jones, Andrew Potter, and Gareth Smith and for organising such a great gathering.

I asked three menti questions (anonymous responses – results in the slides below):

❓ What words describe how you feel about climate change?
No surprises in terms of responses but the three that stand out for me: ‘scared’, ‘voiceless’ and ‘future generations’

❓ What words describe how you feel about the changed approach to road investment in Wales?
Tending strongly towards the positive, there is a spectrum of responses – ranging from ‘dillusional’ and ‘misguided’ to ‘brave’ and ‘refreshing’

❓ Which best reflects your view on the transport position Wales has taken nationally?
unnecessarily disruptive – 7
ambitious but unlikely to stand the test of time – 17
leading where others may follow – 31

I was relieved but not surprised by the response to that last one.

Not sure how well the slides by themselves convey what I had to say but a few tasters:

I can imagine how the opening of the M4 in 1971 may have felt like halcyon days (when I was 3) – opening a major new artery through which society’s lifebood could flow, providing connectivity (economically and socially).

But when we change the transport system, we shape society. Take a look on YouTube at the mesmerising and terrible traffic snake in Los Angeles that is 12 lanes wide. Halcyon days or the gates of hell?

We are in a ‘drift and panic’ phase of humanity – sat in the frogboiler gradually cooking to death without realising, only to then realise the enormity of the polycrisis we face as time runs out. Wales is internationally leading in seeking to rise above the drift and jump out the pan of hot water, or at least try and turn the gas down. Meanwhile, politicians elsewhere are succumbing to ‘imperious immediacy of interest’.

Of course I let my love of heavy metal feature, with my recent creation – the ‘Pentagram of Influence’ – highlighting the interplay of agency, agendas and influence between professionals, politicians, publics, mainstream media, and the fossil fuel and car industries. No wonder our problems are wicked and change is hard!

If all you have is a hammer – everything looks like a nail. It’s time to learn how to use different tools – the future may need to be constructed with screws – any of you hammer-wielders know how to use a screwdriver?

Words from Greta to close – hope is not about making people feel more comfortable, hope is being honest and facing our fears. 🤘