Saturday, 25 May 2024

We Should Learn About The Critical National Infrastructure And Why Public Transport Is Important For The Economy And Society

CNI Criticalities Knowledge Base flyer

Some of my followers on X (formerly known as Twitter) may have noticed that I briefly used the words ‘Critical National Infrastructure’ (CNI) to show the importance of providing and improving public transport services, which are vital for the economy and society, along with other services we rely on.

According to the United Kingdom’s National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), they have listed the CNI sectors, which includes the definition of CNI.

The 13 national infrastructure sectors

In the UK, there are 13 national infrastructure sectors:

• Chemicals
• Civil Nuclear
• Communications
• Defence
• Emergency Services
• Energy
• Finance
• Food
• Government
• Health
• Space
• Transport
• Water

Definition of CNI

Not everything within a national infrastructure sector is judged to be 'critical'. The UK government's official definition of CNI is:

'Those critical elements of infrastructure (namely assets, facilities, systems, networks or processes and the essential workers that operate and facilitate them), the loss or compromise of which could result in:

a) Major detrimental impact on the availability, integrity or delivery of essential services - including those services whose integrity, if compromised, could result in significant loss of life or casualties - taking into account significant economic or social impacts; and/or

b) Significant impact on national security, national defence, or the functioning of the state.'

There are similar definitions in other parts of the world, such as ‘Critical Infrastructure Resilience’ in the European Union and ‘Critical Infrastructure’ in Canada and the United States of America.

This is mostly about the threats of cyber attacks. Of course, technology is strongly interlinked with public transport, which includes information, live departures, signalling systems (both on the roads and railways), financial payments (smartcards and contactless payments), disruptions, etc.

I would suggest that front-line situations such as anti-social behaviour, terrorism, and other types of disruption involving public transport, such as buses, trains, trams, etc. This also extends to the availability of public transport services, such as for residents in rural areas where they have minimal or no bus services at all.

Not everyone is able to drive a vehicle for various reasons, such as:

• Younger people, especially those aged 17 and older, who are unable to afford driving lessons and tests due to study or are unable to get a job,

• Various disabled people, including wheelchair users and people with medical conditions (but they are entitled to travel concessions),

• People who have been disqualified on medical grounds or a criminal conviction,

• Certain people who can’t afford to drive, such as ownership, insurance costs, fuel costs, road tax, parking prices, road user charging (including Ultra Low Emission/Clean Air Zones), etc.

• Older people who prefer to use their free travel concession to travel.

LT News No. 162 - December 14 1979 - How far would London get without us

Public transport is indeed an asset to the economy, people need to travel to work, education, appointments, shopping, volunteering, activism, visiting family and friends, etc.

This is why businesses rely on public transport because they need their customers to travel and visit their stores to purchase goods and services to make a profit. They also need reduced traffic congestion to allow their goods to be delivered with minimal disruption. This also includes venues where they hold events; depending on where they are situated, they rely on public transport for people to attend the events.

Without a functioning public transport service, especially in built-up areas, it can impact the economy along with other services because it will create massive traffic congestion. During Christmas Day, there are no transport services in London, and the road user charging schemes get suspended during the day.

Improvements to public transport (including low fares) are vital for job creation and to enable supply chains in industries that include steelworks (for rails), construction, manufacturing (buses and rolling stock), staffing (builders, maintenance, engineers, station assistants, drivers, etc.), and more.

Reduced journey times help improve the economy because people will have enough time to spend during the day doing other things such as shopping, going to the going to the cinema, visiting friends, etc.

People depend on public transport as much as anyone else who depends on other utilities such as water, electricity, etc. Without electricity, I wouldn’t be able to post my articles on my website for people to read, and there wouldn’t be a functioning public transport service, especially for the London Underground, which uses electricity to move the trains. This also includes fuel stations, where they need electricity to pump the fuel to the vehicles and to make electronic payments such as bank or fuel cards inside the store, and more.

It is also vital to have improved public transport to help tackle climate change issues, including air pollution.

Recently, the UK Government has published guidance on preparation for emergencies such as bad weather, which includes a page on public transport disruptions.

Just to clarify, I do not intend to scare or alarm anyone; the purpose is to show how we depend on these services as part of our daily lives.

I do mention from the TfL bus route consultations that they have proceeded to divert their bus routes away from certain residential areas, which causes impacts on the disabled and older people as they are unable to walk longer distances to their nearest bus service. This is why public transport is vital for accessibility, enabling disabled and wheelchair users to travel independently and with convenience, especially when low-floor buses started to roll out during the 1990s.

In Ireland, their bus planning document recommends that bus routes serve residential areas to enable short walks for residents.

The issue also extends to rural areas where they have minimal or no bus services to allow residents to travel to the town centre. One article shows that a lack of bus service would cause elderly residents to move out of their isolated Surrey village, as they have called on TfL to extend the 463 bus route.

Last year (2023), I responded to London TravelWatch on the Government's proposal to close ticket offices at railway stations as it impacts disabled people. Human presence (members of staff) at stations is vital not only to provide assistance but also for safety reasons such as emergencies, evacuation of passengers, etc.

This goes to show that public transport services are vital for the economy. Even during the COVID pandemic, which happened during the early 2020s, public transport services were still operational to allow travel for key workers (as defined by the UK Government), including workers in health and social care, education and childcare, key public services, local and national government, food and other necessary goods, public safety and national security, transport and border, utilities, communication, and financial services.

If you are an activist, you are welcome to use my words to help with your campaigning on improving public transport.

For further reading:

Why Are Bus Lanes And Bus Priority Roads Beneficial To Emergency Services, Especially Non-Emergency Ambulances?

Why I Believe Transport Enthusiasts Are The Biggest Promoters Of Public Transport?

Suggestion: Why Inclusive Surcharge-free Data Roaming on Smartphones is Important for Overseas Tourists (& Vice Versa) to Navigate Public Transport, and To Purchase E-Tickets etc.

My suggestions on improving public transport in London and beyond:

Why is Creativity in Public Transport Important, Including Bus Route Planning and Branding?

Suggestion: Transport for London Should Revive the Old Speedbus Proposal From the 1970s as Part of Phase 2 of the Superloop

Suggestion: London Passenger Transport Area Including London Country Buses Should Be Revived To Enhance Cross-Boundary Connections

Suggestion: I Believe It’s Time for a New Regional Transport Body for the South East of England? (This will require change to the legislation in Parliament).

I Believe TfL Should Reform The Travelcard Agreement To Offer Smart Flexible Ticketing Options

Making A Case For New Rapid Transit Lines (Including New Tram Lines) By Increasing Bus Priority Measures

I invite you to follow me on X by searching for @CLondoner92 or by clicking on the direct link to my X page here. I'm also on BlueSky and Mastodon.

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