Dear Member,

Tut. It’s one of those really quiet weeks when absolutely nothing happens and I’ve not an idea what to write about. Did something just happen in the world of politics?

Actually the last seven days could be defining ones not just for the country but also for your Institute. As well as a change of PM there was another change at the top when FirstGroup Chief Executive Sir Moir Lockhead OBE succeeded Wincanton plc Chief Executive Graeme McFaull as President of CILT.

Intriguingly the two events are not unrelated, as your Institute will be entering some distinctly political ground with our agenda for the year.

Focus this month spells out our priorities for transport for the new coalition government. The story is called ‘If CILT won the election’ with a big CILT rosette on the cover.  Now I spent ages sorting out a colour for that rosette which was not associated with Conservatives, Labour, Liberals, Plaid Cymru, SNP, Greens or The Monster Raving Looney Party. It resolved itself into a rather violent purple by the way. So I hope you’ve read the darn thing.

If you haven’t yet, shame on you, let me just take you through our main concerns. They are – deep breath – decaying roads; road capacity; sustainability; new ports and multimodal hubs; bus investment; unlocking rail capacity; improved and greener air transport; a change to road user taxation; improved management of road space for truck and psv operators; better truckstops and - last but not least - an increase in the recognition by Government of the importance of transport in today’s economy.

Add to this mix our wider interest in travel planning and cycling and you’re beginning to get the picture.

CILT is also starting to speak on broader issues. Sir Moir has a passion for training and education at all levels, and he called in his inaugural address for us all to ensure that the repercussions of the recent recession, and those cuts we all know are coming, don’t result in today’s young people becoming another wasted generation.................more

David Jinks  Editor
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