Assembly local transport funding announcement welcomed

Friends of the Earth Cymru has greatly welcomed today's local transport funding announcement by Transport and Environment Minister Sue Essex (1). The campaigners point to the significant funding and priority shift towards public transport provision and other measures to reduce car dependency.

Neil Crumpton, transport spokesperson for Friends of the Earth Cymru said:
"Today's announcement contains serious funding for the public transport infrastructure that is so desperately needed across Wales. The Assembly has taken a significant step on its sustainable development policy. The commitment and prioritisation of schemes to provide alternatives to the private car will benefit everyone including motorists."

FOE Cymru said that there were expensive road-schemes in the announcement such as the £33 million dual carriageway Church Village Bypass and the £162 million Eastern Bay Link Road that will be challenged by them.

Neil Crumpton continued:
"There are some excessive and expensive road-schemes included in the announcement and some on the back burner. But they will have to pass economic appraisal tests and face modification proposals or opposition by us and others at public inquiry. For a start, the £162 million for Cardiff's proposed Eastern Bay Link would pay for a 21st Century tram system for the Cardiff area. Railfreight services to Holyhead and Pembrokeshire would also do a better job than further road-building too."

The announcement did not make clear the scale of funding there may be for traffic calming, home zones, and Safe Routes for cyclists, pedestrians and children. FOE Cymru say they will continue to campaign for a nation wide short to medium term deployment of such essential local infrastructure.

Notes

1) Assembly Press Release WO1011-Tp 10.1.2001 - Major Boost for Transport Spending.