Assembly local transport funding to be announcement

Friends of the Earth Cymru (FOE Cymru) is saying that the Assembly's response to local authorities funding bids will be a major test of Wales's world leading policy on sustainable development (Section 121 of Act) (1). Local Authorities presented their five year transport plans to the Assembly last summer and this years Transport Grant allocations to the LA's will strongly reflect the Assembly's policy direction.

FOE Cymru say that Environment/Transport Minister Sue Essex today has the chance to initiate a decisive shift away from English transport policy which now contains plans for more major roadbuilding than proposed by the Conservatives (2).

Neil Crumpton, transport spokesperson for the group said before the today's announcement that:
"Traffic levels are a major indicator of a country's global sustainability policy and a fundamental shift in transport spending away from road-building and car dependency is needed as much for economic development as it is for social advancement and environmental protection. The Assembly has a decisive opportunity and we await today's Transport Grant announcement with interest and trepidation."

Notes

1) By 2050 the world's population is forecast to be around 9 billion. If global car ownership grew to even just over half that of current UK car-ownership levels (now 1 car for every 2.6 people), there would be approaching 2 billion cars world-wide by 2050 up from about 500 million now. Yet even now UK car numbers are still rising and are forecast to grow by 40% to 31 million cars by 2030. Yet greenhouse gas emissions, resource depletion, energy use and vehicle pollution are already a major
threat to climate, health, safety and our children's prosperity. UK road traffic CO2 emissions account for over 20% of UK annual total, excluding emissions resulting from materials acquisition, car manufacture, and disposal.

DETR Transport Statistics, Great Britain 1999: Currently, there are about 22 million cars (22,115,000) licensed on Britain's roads. UK population is about 58 million. Hence car-ownership level is 1 car for every 2.6 people approx. This figure is up from 18 million cars, ten years ago and is forecast to rise 40% by the year 2030. Hence the 2030 UK forecast is 30.96 million cars, approaching 1 car for every 2 UK residents).

2) Prescott 'is miles out on road building claim' By Charles Clover and Andrew Sparrow International: Royal Geographical Society Conference reports --- JOHN PRESCOTT was criticised by environmentalists yesterday after a study claimed that Labour had understated the extent of its road building programme. An independent analysis said that, under Mr Prescott's 10-year transport plan, Labour would be building more roads at the end of the decade than the Tories averaged when they were in power. The figures are embarrassing because the Deputy Prime Minister committed himself to cutting car use when he came into office.

Mr Prescott said after the election: "I will have failed if in five years' time there are not many more people using public transport and far fewer journeys by car. It's a tall order but I urge you to hold me to it."