The nature of transport - Transport Policy and Planning in Great Britain - page 3

more recent still. In many cases it is therefore only possible to present trends for recent
periods and between specific survey dates.
Because we are concerned mainly with 'national' policy the characteristics of
transport and travel are generally presented as aggregate or average figures in order to
give the overall picture. (Sometimes, depending on the statistical source, figures for
Wales and/or Scotland have to be excluded.) Where characteristics vary within the
national population we try and show their range as well.
In particular the spatial dimension of variation is highlighted. This is because our
personal understanding of transport is likely to be strongly conditioned by the nature
of the areas we happen to know well. In fact there are wide variations both within and
between regions and these are becoming more pronounced over time. Whatever you
think transport is like in Great Britain the reality is almost certainly different!