Archived press release

FOE slams transport green paper for failure to use targets to cut traffic

25 April 1996

Friends of the Earth today strongly criticised the Government for rejecting the use of targets to cut traffic levels, in its Green Paper on transport [1].

Charles Secrett, Executive Director said:

"The use of targets is the acid test of a sustainable transport policy. If the Government fails to incorporate them into its strategy for transport, there is no way it can determine the mix of policies needed to make transport sustainable."

Ironically, as the Green Paper was being published, the UK Roundtable for Sustainable Development, which was set up by the Government to build consensus on environmental issues, itself endorsed the use of targets to cut traffic [2].

Representatives from industry, commerce, academia and environmental groups backed a challenging paper from the Roundtable's transport sub-group that called on the Government to "draw up a National Sustainable Transport Strategy" and said that "policy should be based on setting national targets for reducing traffic growth over short- and medium-term periods"[3].

Friends of the Earth has pressed for targets to cut traffic growth to be adopted through the Road Traffic Reduction Bill. An Early Day Motion in support of the Bill has been supported by 113 MPs from all major political parties [4].

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] The Department of Transport today published its long awaited Green Paper on transport, which included its response to the eighteenth report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution.

[2] The UK Roundtable on Sustainable Development was set up following publication of the Government's Sustainable Development Strategy in January 1994. It aims to build consensus between different sectors of society over environmental issues, and is explicitly charged with providing advice and recommendations on actions to achieve sustainable development. Its membership includes representatives from industry, academia and trades unions, as well as environmental groups.

[3] "Defining a sustainable transport sector" was written by Charles Secrett, the Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, who is chairman of the Roundtable's transport sub-group.

The sub-group's membership, besides Mr Secrett, includes Mr Christopher Haskins of Northern Foods plc, Professor Palmer Newbould of the New University of Ulster and Professor Graham Ashworth of the Tidy Britain Group.Summaries of Mr Secrett's paper can be obtained from Friends of the Earth.

[4] The Road Traffic Reduction Bill is supported by a joint campaign involving Friends of the Earth, the Green Party and the Plaid Cymru Parliamentary Party.The Bill calls for:

The Secretary of State for Transport to draw up a "National Road Traffic Reduction Plan" to achieve a 5% reduction in road traffic miles by 2005, and 10%by 2010. The Plan to be reported on and debated by Parliament annually. Local Authorities to draw up local Road traffic Reduction Plans authorising measures they consider appropriate to curtail traffic in their area Parish, town and community councils can draw up road traffic reduction plans if they so choose.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust