The Anonymous Widower

We Need A Bertrand Russell Solution To The Problem Of Expansion Of Airports In The South East?

I don’t know where I got the quote from, but I once heard that Betrand Russell had said.

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but pressure is the father of genius.

What we need to do, is accept that Heathrow will eventually get that third runway, but that we’re going to delay it as long as possible.

In the meantime we apply restrictions on Heathrow, so that it becomes a much better neighbour. The report recommends these restrictions, if a third runway is built.

• No night flights between 11:30 pm. and 06:00 am.
• No fourth runway ever.
• A restrictive noise envelope around the airport with a noise levy to insulate homes and schools.
• An independent noise authority to regulate flight paths.
• Possibly adding a congestion charge for cars around the airport to o cut pollution levels.
• Any additional capacity doesn’t breach European Union air quality limits.

I would go further.

• It wouldn’t be a possibility of a congestion charge, but one would be applied all along the western side of the M25 and on any road near the airport, so that roads could be improved to take non-airport traffic away from the airport.
• Even more restricted short term parking at the Airport.
• I would make night flights more restrictive, but I would relax it somewhat for aircraft that met very much quieter noise standards.

I would also legislate to impose these conditions by December 2019. I have chosen this date, as that is when the full Crossrail network is scheduled to open to Heathrow.

But no sticks work without carrots to get idiots to do what you want, so how about.

• Crossrail is currently planning to run 4 trains per hour to Heathrow, but not to Terminal 5. Crossrail should be upgraded to call at all terminals and provision should be made to increase the frequency if necessary.
• Development of Old Oak Common station, with direct services using Crossrail from Heathrow to the Midlands and the North.
• Accelerated development of alternative rail routes into Heathrow from the South and West.
• Extend Crossrail from Abbey Wood to Ebbsfleet International, so that passengers have one-change access to Eurostar.
• A free return ticket to anywhere on Crossrail for all passengers.

If we got the balance right, I suspect that it would accelerate innovation on the part of airlines to provide new and more efficient services for passengers.

We also mustn’t underestimate the effect that Crossrail will have on improving the efficiency of Heathrow and possibly in the reduction of vehicular traffic and air pollution in the region of the airport.

Crossrail though will have a very big negative effect on Gatwick, as why if you had the choice would you use the airport, given that Heathrow will have the better links to Central London.

July 1, 2015 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Crossrail, Flying, Heathrow Airport, Third Runway At Heathrow Airport