The need, for physical or legal reasons, to impose speed limits or to restrict access by cars in certain areas of towns, to change the direction of traffic, or to introduce parking charges are sources and subjects of local conflicts involving various categories of people, not all equally well organised, including motorists, pedestrians, residents, tradesmen, elected representatives and technicians. In this political field, by which the technical aspect is governed, the French press, radio and television have for more than ten years acted as an arbitral or arbitrary power which decision-makers seem to have to reckon with more and more, in our society of communication. This may make it necessary for technicians or those in favour of moderating or regulating traffic to know and understand the arguments and the role of the media, and to avoid denigrating them or seeing them as opponents of technical or economic rationality. Recognition of the resources and limitations of the media could be the first step towards alliances between those whose job is to organise travel and those who shape popular concepts or what claims to be public opinion.
Samenvatting