Does Poor British Transport Hamper Economic Growth?

February 18, 2009

The CBI today published a report called “Time To Change Gear” which looks at the performance and investment needs of Britain’s transport infrastructure. The accomanying press release leads with this quote:

The UK’s unreliable and congested transport network is undermining the long-term competitiveness of business, according to a new report by the CBI

But the report provides little or no evidence to support this statement. Yes, transport in Britain could be more reliable. Yes, investment in transport infrastructure when carefully planned can be a good thing. But the economic impact of these issues is much more difficult to get to grips with, and I don’t think the CBI report even attempts to do so.