On July 20th Prescott the deputy prime minister of UK unveiled his transport white paper. Although the document was widely hailed as the most fundamental shift in transport policy for a generation, it will have only a marginal impact on growth in traffic. Britain's roads, already among the most congested in Europe, are heading for a gridlock as 32m drivers compete for limited space. The white paper is a politically timid, if long-overdue, attempt to change direction.