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missing targets
Among the pseudo-targets in the Department for Transport's Transport Ten Year Plan 2000, the one which appears to be furthest from realisation is "up to 25 new rapid transit lines in major cities and conurbations, more than doubling light rail use". A ministerial Written Answer in January 2006 revealed that 5 light rail schemes have been delivered since 2000: Croydon, Manchester Phase 2, Docklands Extension, Metro Sunderland Extension and Nottingham Line 1. 3 more schemes (all on existing networks) are being developed at the moment. Depending on the interpretation of "rapid transit lines" you can probably add a few more guided / fast busway schemes to these (eg Bristol looks set to have some), but however you look at it it's hard to see how it's going to be anything but a big backdown.
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gravy train
A bit of public sector excess sees the post of Chief Executive of the new West of Scotland Regional Transport Partnership being offered at a salary of £120,000. Many excellent candidates would have applied for much less. If all the 7 RTPs offer that sort of money then that's the best part of a million already gone from the first year's funding of £35 million. It's particularly vexing in view of the job descriptions for the (unpaid) non-councillor RTP jobs: "What’s in it for you? If you’re asking the question, you're not the right material."

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