NEWS RELEASE

New Parliament building to promote car culture? 17th June 1998 TRANSform Scotland today criticised proposals for over 160 car parking spaces at the Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood in advance of this Friday's deadline for comments. The plans currently include parking spaces for each new MSP. (1) The Secretary of State's proposals for development at the Holyrood site make no reference to public transport access despite proposals being developed for a new train station at Abbeyhill and calls for cycle and pedestrian priority routes to the Parliament building. TRANSform's Campaign Manager Colin Howden said, "We trust that the Council will request that the proposals be amended. Instead of giving priority to the private car, we should be encouraging the more sustainable alternatives of walking, cycling and using public transport." Encouraging single occupancy cars amongst Parliamentarians would run contrary to the City of Edinburgh Council's well publicised efforts to solve the existing traffic problems in the city (2); it would also send entirely the wrong signals to the nation, which has been promised a parliament building that "must promote...good environmental practice". (3) Colin Howden continued: "Scotland's new Parliamentarians should set a good example to the rest of the country. They're not going to be of much use if they're stuck in traffic jams on the way to Holyrood. With plans like these, we'll be having road rage on the Royal Mile as the MSPs fight to get to work in time!" ENDS Notes to Editors: (1) Outline Notice of Proposed Development C36/98, available for consultation and comment at the City Development Department, 1 Cockburn Street until Friday, 19/6/98. A copy of TRANSform Scotland's response is available upon request. (2) Edinburgh, a member of the European Car Free Cities Network, will next week be hosting the third Car Free Cities conference. (3) as stated in the White Paper "Scotland's Parliament", published by the Government on July 24th, 1997 (4) TRANSform Scotland brings together 49 organisations - transport operators, Local Authorities, national environment campaigns & local transport groups - interested in transport, the environment and a sustainable Scotland. We can be contacted at 72 Newhaven Road, Edinburgh, EH6 5QG. Tel.: 0131 467 7714; Fax: 0131 554 8656. END OF NEWS RELEASE