Archived press release

Traffic reduction law to get green light?

22 January 1997

An historic change in Government transport policy seems almost certain this week [1] when the Government uses a Private Member's Bill debate [2] on the Road Traffic Reduction Bill(Friday 24 January) to agree to traffic reduction targets for local authorities. In response,Liberal Democrat MP Don Foster (Bath) has agreed to modify his Bill [3], and it now stands a significantly improved chance of becoming law.

The Road Traffic Reduction Bill - which is being promoted by Plaid Cymru, the Green Party and Friends of the Earth, and is being introduced by Don Foster - will require local authorities to draw up plans to reduce traffic in their areas.

A mass rally and lobby [4] of Parliament is being held in central London on Wednesday 22 January in support of the Road Traffic Reduction Bill. People from all over the country are expected to attend.

Don Foster MP said:

"The Road Traffic Reduction Bill now stands a significant chance of becoming law, and if it does it will be one of the most important pieces of transport legislation in the UK. For the first time the Government will recognise that it needs to tackle the problem of increasing traffic rather than trying to accommodate it."

Charles Secrett, Director of Friends of the Earth, said:

"The Road Traffic Reduction Bill is the single most important measure to tame the tyranny of the car and lorry, and to reclaim our towns and cities for people again. This Bill will be the first step towards the achievement of national targets which the campaign will continue to fight for. The momentum for change is gathering pace, over 200 MP's have pledged their support: any MP who tries to obstruct its passage will have the British electorate to answer to."

David Taylor, of the Green Party said:

"Nobody doubts that there is a national problem of too much traffic. Current forecasts are that it could double within 30 years. That would be a nightmare. Faced with this, both the 'do nothing' and 'build more roads' scenarios are irresponsible. To stop the damage to our health, to the economy and to the environment we need to reduce the amount of traffic on our roads"

Cynog Dafis, Plaid Cymru MP, said

"The current level of road traffic growth is one of the greatest threats to the quality of our lives, environmentally and socially and in the form of physical health. This Bill provides a framework that would enable us to begin tackling this problem. No wonder it is attracting such broad support"

The Road Traffic Reduction Bill is supported by over 220 members of Parliament from all political persuasions, 129 local authorities and over 500 local groups and associations.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Recent statements from the Department of Transport indicate that the Government will support traffic reduction legislation aimed at local authorities.

[2] The Road Traffic Reduction Bill receives its Second Reading in the House of Commons on Friday 24 January 1997. The Bill will oblige local authorities, within one year of the Bill becoming law, to set targets for reducing traffic or projected traffic growth (based on 1990 levels) by the years 2005 and 2010, and draw up plans for how this will be achieved.

[3] The Road Traffic Reduction Bill originally set national traffic reductions targets for Government - a 5 per cent reduction by 2005 and a 10 per cent reduction by 2010. These have now been shelved to allow the Bill to become law.

[4]The Road Traffic Reduction Rally is taking place at the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster between 12:30 pm and 2:15 PM Speakers include Don Foster MP, David Taylor (Green Party), Cynog Dafis MP (Plaid Cymru) and Charles Secrett (Director, Friends of the Earth). A mass lobby of Parliament will take place around 2.45 PM

[5]The problems of current traffic levels...

• Millions of people breathe air heavily polluted by exhaust fumes. 53 per cent of all nitrogen oxides, 90 per cent of all carbon monoxide, 46 per cent of all hydrocarbons and 47 per cent of all black smoke emissions come from road traffic.
• Up to 15 million people could be suffering health problems caused by traffic fumes,according to researchers at Lancaster University.
• Up to 10,000 people die prematurely as a result of particulates pollution every year.
• Congestion on the roads costs the economy 19 billion every year, according to the CBI. Lost days at work and further costs of traffic accidents add 6.3 billion more to the Bill.
• 50 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 10 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and 5 National Parks are threatened by current trunk roads schemes.
• Global Warming: 22 per cent of CO2 emissions, the main "greenhouse gas", come from road traffic. This threatens to wipe out the effect of reducing CO2 emissions from other sectors.
• Millions of people's quiet streets are being wrecked by "rat-running" and "outsider parking".
  
• 63 per cent of people are exposed to night-time noise levels above World Health Organisation sleep criteria. During the day, 52 per cent of people suffer levels exceeding WHO levels to prevent significant community annoyance. Traffic is the most frequently reported cause of external noise in homes.
• Small towns and villages are being wrecked by heavy lorries. Busy roads deter pedestrians from crossing them so that communities may become divided in two. Busy streets have less social interaction, and less social support networks. This can lead to increased psychiatric disorder, physical morbidity and mortality from all causes.
• Non-car owners have become increasingly immobilised as public transport has decreased. As elderly people face public transport cuts, they may be left with no way of getting about.
• Transport accounted for 33 per cent of UK energy use in 1990, with road traffic using 80 per cent of this.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust