Spending plans announcement: Executive's plans make welcome move in direction of public transportTRANSform Scotland, the campaign for sustainable transport, today welcomed the Scottish Executive's commitment towards more investment in public transport - and its resistance to calls for more money for road-building.TRANSform Scotland Campaign Manager Colin Howden said: "We hear the constant refrain that people won't leave their cars at home until public transport is improved. Jack McConnell's plans appear to have made room for a significant increase in public transport. It appears that the spending plans will give public transport, rail freight and rural transport measures a much needed boost." (2) TRANSform Scotland welcomed the Executive's decision not to further increase spending on road-building (3). Colin Howden said: "We are glad that the Executive has resisted calls for more money to be spent on road building. Such a course of action would have been counter-productive, merely generating more traffic and causing more pollution. The Executive is correct to direct funds towards a better managed and maintained trunk road network - and resist misguided calls for more motorway building." ENDS Notes to Editors: (1) TRANSform Scotland is the national sustainable transport campaign, bringing together 67 organisations - including transport operators, local authorities, national environment and conservation groups, chambers of commerce and 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; E-mail: campaigns@transformscotland.org.uk; web: http://www.transformscotland.org.uk (2) "Making a difference for Scotland', page 20, shows 'Other Transport Programmes' figure increasing from £74.3M in 2000-01 to £150.8M in 2003-04. We understand that this budget line provides for public transport support, support to get freight on rail and support for rural transport services. (3) Scottish Executive have already managed to announce three above-inflation increases in roads expenditure in the space of one year (news releases 0868/99, 01/04/99; SE0817/1999, 06/10/99; SE0937/2000, 31/03/00). END OF NEWS RELEASE
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