Archived press release

Labour breaks promises and ignores advisors on traffic reduction

18 January 2000

On traffic reduction

* Labour's 1997 General Election web site and policy handbook said it would “reduce and then reverse traffic growth”;
* John Prescott said, in 1997, that he would have “failed if in five year's time there are not many more people using public transport and far fewer journeys by car” [2];
* Glenda Jackson, the Minister responsible in 1998 when the Road Traffic Reduction(National Targets) Bill was being passed, said seven times that there should be a reduction in road traffic levels rather than a reduction in traffic growth [3];

Yet now the Government says that “even if the measures in 'A New Deal for Transport'were applied very intensively, national road traffic levels would still be well above 1996 levels in ten year's time” [4]. Its forecasts of traffic growth between 1996 and 2010 vary from 16% to 29% [5].

On targets

Transport Ministers took advice on whether to set traffic reduction targets from the Commission for Integrated Transport (CfIT). Although the Commission recommended against a national traffic reduction target, it did recommend that the Government prepares'benchmark profiles' “covering both congestion outcomes and underlying traffic levels” [6]. Moreover it said “we cannot expect to have as much impact on traffic levels, but we should not shy away from using benchmark profiles here as well” [7].

Yet the Government only intends to set benchmark profiles for congestion, not traffic,disregarding its own advisors. Friends of the Earth regards benchmark profiles as similar in effect to targets and as necessary for traffic levels as for congestion.

Roger Higman, Senior Transport Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:

“Ministers have reneged on Labour's commitment to reduce then reverse traffic growth and disregarded the advice of their own advisors by failing to set benchmark profiles for traffic. Communities throughout Britain will suffer increased traffic levels as a result, especially in suburban and rural areas where the highest traffic growth is forecast”.

“Over 400 MPs have supported FOE's call for traffic reduction. We will continue to campaign to hold Ministers to their promises to these MPs and the public.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] 'Benchmark profiles' are a series of yardsticks that the Commission for Integrated Transport recomemnds should be set for congestion and traffic “against which to measure progress”. They are profiles in that they consist of “a specified indicative level for each year, or every 2-3 years, over the next 10 years, and could thus allow for the gradually accelerating imapct of the new policies” Commission for Integrated Transport “National Road Traffic Targets: advice by the Commission for Integrated Transport” [para 15]

[2] The Guardian 6th June 1997

[3] See Hansard on 9 March 1998, 11 March 1998, 18 March 1998 (twice ), 19 March 1998, 27 March 1998, 24 April 1998.

[4] Today's announcement - para 28

[5] Today's announcement - figure 5

[6] Commission for Integrated Transport “National Road Traffic Targets: advice by the Commission for Integrated Transport” [para 16]

[7] Commission for Integrated Transport “National Road Traffic Targets: advice by the Commission for Integrated Transport” [para 19]

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