Archived press release

Government failing to tackle transport crisis

17 December 2002

As motoring costs fall under Labour

Friends of the Earth today accused the Government of lacking the political will to tackle the UK’s escalating transport problems. The environmental campaign group said that effective action must be taken to cut traffic levels, with more money diverted from the roads programme to public transport. Earlier today the Government published a review of its failing 10 year transport plan.

Despite promising to cut traffic levels [1] in 1997, the Government has done precious little to achieve this.

• The cost of motoring has fallen under Labour, whilst the cost of using buses and trains has risen [2];
• The Government abandoned the fuel price escalator following protests from motoring groups;
  
• Labour has offered only luke-warm support to the few local authorities that have introduced congestion-charging.
• Billions of pounds of road-widening schemes were announced last week – even though the Government stated in its 1998 Transport White Paper “people know we cannot build our way out of congestion with new roads”
• The Government has admitted that road congestion is unlikely to improve by the end of the decade. Since Labour came to power in 1997, road traffic is estimated to have grown by 7 per cent [3].
• There has been inadequate funding for transport alternatives to the car. This weekend there were reports that Government rail subsidies may be cut [4].
  

Friends of the Earth’s Transport Campaigner Tony Bosworth said:
“The Government’s transport strategy is a complete shambles. Despite promising to cut traffic and get people on to public transport, it has done precious little to achieve this. Motoring costs have fallen under Labour, whilst the cost of using buses and trains has risen. On top of this it is building bigger roads that will eventually lead to more traffic and more congestion. The Government must bite the bullet and introduce the policies and funds needed to get people out of their cars and onto safe, reliable and affordable alternatives instead.

Notes

[1] When Labour first came to power they promised to cut traffic growth. On 6 June 1997 John Prescott was reported in the Guardian as saying:
"I will have failed ...if in five years there are not many more people using public transport and far fewer journeys by car. It is a tall order but I want you to hold me to it." For more info on this statement see: www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/transport/news/prescott/

[2] Taking 1974 the real change in costs of travelling by car, train and bus taking 1974 as a base figure of 100; and discounting inflation.

1974 1997 2001

Car 100 99.6 98.7

Rail 100 178.9 185.3

Bus 100 157.6 166.1

Hansard 20 Nov 2002 (see:
www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmhansrd/cm021120/text/ ¬
21120w20.htm#21120w20.html_sbhd4

[3] Hansard 20 November (see web link in note 2)

[4] Earlier this year Friends of the Earth showed how a further £25 billion could be raised to fund the railways by gradually increasing fuel tax to keep motoring costs constant. Instead funding is likely to fall by 20% by the end of the decade

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust