MMD#70 - Read on for resilience in vital transport links, how disruption in other infrastructure affects transport, and the impacts (or lack of) of flight shaming on air travel
Mobility Matters Daily #70
Vital transport links and a desire for the lowest cost can result in a lack of resilience
Some transport services truly are critical to the wellbeing of communities. Perhaps none moreso than ferry links to islands. They cost a lot to operate, but without them island life is almost impossible in the modern world. But in an environment where public sector budgets are being stretched, the resilience of such services is being tested.
None moreso than in Scotland currently. Several ferry services are heavily disrupted as ageing ferries, that keep running as replacing them in an environment of lower public subsidy is unviable (though is being done slowly), increasingly break down. Resilience costs money, but a lack of resilience can cost even more (though interestingly the economic value of these ferries has not been estimated). It just comes down to who pays for it.
The ferry disruption on the Calmac ferry services in Scotland | Scotland’s Ferries Plan | A great World Bank Blog on the cost-benefit of building in resilience
Transport also needs to be worried about the resilience of other networks as a major US pipeline is hacked
Over in the USA, a major US petroleum pipeline (or gasoline for the US audience) has fallen victim to a ransomware attack. This is a cyber attack where users get locked out of their systems until a ransom is paid. And this has just happened to the IT systems on a major pipeline. The result is that 45% of the supplies of petroleum to the North East United States has been shut down.
This does have an impact on transport. More truckers and gasoline deliveries are now required to maintain supplies (or at least minimise the impact). This is needs co-ordination not just by logistics firms, but also by highway authorities as dangerous loads are transported along public highways. A reminder that infrastructure generally is a system, and not just transport.
Ransomware attack shuts down major US pipeline | The transport challenges being faced to make up the shortfall
What role could flight shaming play in determining the future of aviation?
Remember before COVID-19 when we were talking about how we needed to reduce the number of flights we took? And how flight shaming was a thing? Since international aviation has been largely closed for a year, some debate is emerging on whether flight shaming is still the powerful force it was.
There is still little evidence of the impact of flight shaming on personal travel choices. There is some evidence that it re-inforces existing green credentials, and raises awareness of policies that will reduce the number of flights people take. But relying on shame alone appears to be unlikely to work.
Thesis from a University of Groningen student on the impact of flight shaming | Does flight shaming affect social norms? | An article from 2019 on the emergence of flight shaming