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Powerful Committee of MPs backs call for national traffic targets
28 April 1999
A powerful backbench committee of MPs today (Wednesday) backed Friends of the Earth's call for national targets to guide transport policy.
The House of Commons' Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee's report on the 'Integrated Transport White Paper' recommends the new Commission for Integrated Transport examines 'the setting of national targets... as a priority' [74].
The Committee's report confirms Friends of the Earth's view that last year's White Paper'A New Deal for Transport: better for everyone' only aims to reduce road traffic growth [9],and described criticisms of the Government's 'failure to provide for road traffic reduction'as 'powerful' [62].
The Committee found that: 'A new policy in place of 'predict and provide' is needed.Several witnesses argued that it should be based on the establishment of national targets for appropriate levels of road traffic. The targets would provide a framework for establishing other transport policies. They should guide local authorities in the formulation of local transport strategies and, in particular, they should be built into the process of appraising new roads to discourage the Highways Agency from planning on the basis of existing traffic forecasts when considering a road scheme' [63].
Friends of the Earth welcomes this endorsement of FOE's position by an influential Parliamentary Committee. Ron Bailey, Friends of the Earth's Parliamentary Campaigner,said:
'The Select Committee has hit the nail on the head. Government policy will allow an increase in traffic levels despite Government commitments to help people use their cars less. Ministers urgently need to set national targets for road traffic reduction to give their policies teeth'.
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jul 2008
