NEWS RELEASE - Monday 18th June 2001

Travel awareness campaign welcome - but undermined by Boyack's road-building programme

TRANSform Scotland, Scotland's campaign for sustainable transport (1), welcome the Scottish Executive's travel awareness campaign "Learn To Let Go", launched today (Monday). However, TRANSform Scotland believes that the campaign's attempts to tackle traffic growth will be undermined by the £450 million of new roads given the go-ahead by Transport Minister Sarah Boyack in the past two years. (2)

Colin Howden, TRANSform Scotland Campaign Manager, said:

"The Executive's travel awareness campaign is long overdue. Sarah Boyack is correct to highlight the need to stop traffic growth and is wise to take as its focus short trips that can be made on foot or by bike. With most trips being local - under two miles - greater use of walking and cycling is an important way to improve Scotland's poor public health record and reduce traffic pollution at the same time."

However, TRANSform Scotland believes that the Scottish Executive efforts are contradicted by their spending commitments. Colin Howden said: "On one hand Sarah Boyack is saying that more people should walk or take public transport and on the other has given the go-ahead for a £450 million road-building programme which will generate yet more traffic. We know that more roads will just generate more traffic yet just last week Sarah Boyack gave the go-ahead the £80 million more of new roads (3). If the Executive genuinely wants to encourage people to consider alternatives to the car they need to change their spending priorities to favour public transport rather than the private car."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

(1) TRANSform Scotland is the national sustainable transport campaign, bringing together 68 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) Sarah Boyack's road-building programme:

The Strategic Roads Review of November 1999 gave the go-ahead for £140 million of new roads:

M77 Fenwick-Malletsheugh - £60 million

A1 Haddington-Dunbar - £32 million

A78 Bypass of Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston - £26 million

A830 Arisaig - Kinsadel - £10 million

A96 Fochabers - Mosstodloch - £12 million

In January 2000, Boyack gave the go-ahead for Midlothian Council's £14.5 million A701 dual-carriageway project - with no public inquiry despite hundreds of local objections.

In January 2001, Boyack gave the go-ahead for the M74 Northern Extension. This is estimated to cost £245 million for 5 miles of elevated motorway through south Glasgow.

In June 2001, Boyack gave the go-ahead for the Glasgow Southern Orbital road, estimated to cost £40 million. By this stage, the A1 project cost has been revised to £40 million (from £32 million in November 1999). The total cost of these projects is £447.5 million.

By contrast, the annual amount attributed to the Public Transport Fund - which pays for all public transport, walking, and cycling improvements across Scotland - is £50 million.

(3) £40 million for A1 Haddington-Dunbar and £40 million Glasgow Southern Orbital road. See Scottish Executive press release SE1422/2001, 14th June 2001.