This paper attempts to explain why Danish, Dutch and Swedish transport policies have failed to reduce the unsustainability of the present transport systems in those countries. Its author believes that his explanations could contribute to new efforts to promote sustainable transport. His arguments are based on an interdisciplinary approach combining perspectives in political science, psychology, sociology, social psychology, and social anthropology. The present government failures can be explained by several defects in national policy making. Politicians have been unwilling to specify the basic conflicts of modern transport, or analyse them so that priorities can be chosen. They underestimate how far a new transport policy goal requires a new policy package. They seem unwilling to analyse the institutional and actor-oriented aspects of implementation, and rarely propose win-win policies. There are failures in the interactions between different actors, including politicians, government departments, local government, transport companies, industries, non-governmental organisations, etc. Citizens contribute to failures in transport policy as both consumers and voters. They think little about long-term implications of transport behaviour and policies. There needs to be genuine communication between policy makers and their experts on the one hand and citizens on the other.
Abstract