The evolution of ‘Smarter Choices’: from optional extra to vital tool?

Delegates at the Smarter Choices and ACT?TravelWise conferences in mid-March heard how ‘soft’ measures could play an increasingly important role once the ‘Oil Age’ has passed. Rik Thomas reports

Rik Thomas

27 March 2009

Jeremy Leggett warned the ACT?TravelWise conference that the ‘oil crunch’ could hit us in just four years

According to Dr Karen Lucas, travel plans need to change to take more account of the needs of the socially excluded

At the ACT TravelWise conference last week delegates heard that rapidly rising transport fuel costs could soon be forcing people to amend their travel behaviour and that the future role of ‘Smarter Choices’ could well be to help people maintain as much of their qualify of life as possible by providing them with high quality information on travel options in a world where unrestrained car travel simply is not affordable.

Michael Wegener, for example, a consultant who has worked on the...