Transport of Delight?

The UK Transport Secretary seems hellbent on opening up international travel. The traffic light system for foreign travel has been replaced by a single 'red list'. Only travel to one of these (currently 7) locations will require quarantine on a return to the UK. The Transport Secretary also wants to replace the required 'costly' PCR test for Covid by a cheaper lateral flow test. He intends this testing change to come in before the half-term holidays (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/oct/08/grant-shapps-wants-to-scrap-costly-pcr-tests-for-travellers-by-half-term-covid). The Transport Secretary has obviously responded to the repeated urgings of the airlines and travel 'industry'. Reducing the testing costs and increasing the numbers of locations one can visit without quarantine, will greatly increase bookings. The lateral flow test, although cheaper, is much less reliable than the PCR. It also will provide no indication of the arrival of possible viral variants. The Transport Secretay claims all these changes are possible, because the government 'has confidence' in 'its' vaccination programme. The vaccination programme does not, however, protect all people to an equal extent. The announced changes are likely to be 'crowd pleasing' but they seem premature. They will also give a timely boost to 'greenhouse gas' emissions just before COP26.