NEWS RELEASE - Sunday 17th February 2002

McConnell speech on environment must deliver environmental audit of Executive road-building programme and commitment to road traffic reduction

In advance of Jack McConnell's speech on the environment due tomorrow (Monday 18th), TRANSform Scotland have called on the First Minister to review the unsustainable spending commitments on road-building made by his predecessor as First Minister.

Colin Howden, Campaign Manager of TRANSform Scotland, said: "The Scottish Executive has made promise after promise about improving public transport. Yet all Henry McLeish's administration achieved was a grotesque road-building programme every bit as destructive as the one the Tories bulldozed through in the early 1990s." (1)

"If Jack McConnell is serious about his environmental commitment then he must review the unsustainable spending commitments on road-building made by his predecessor as First Minister. Jack McConnell's administration must explain why a £500 million road-building programme should take priority over investment in public transport" (2).

"Jack McConnell must also commit the Scottish Executive to set a targets for reducing road traffic levels. Transport is the fastest growing contributor to climate change yet Scotland has already fallen behind England in reducing emissions from transport. The UK's climate change strategy requires the transport sector to deliver 40% of all proposed reductions. This can only be met if Scottish traffic levels are reduced."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

(1) New road-building by the Scottish Executive since 1999:

M77 Fenwick-Malletsheugh - £60 million
A1 Haddington-Dunbar - £40 million
A78 Bypass of Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston - £33.1 million
A830 Arisaig - Kinsadel - £10.8 million
A96 Fochabers - Mosstodloch - £17.3 million
M74 Northern Extension - £250 million
A1 additions south of Dunbar - £11.4 million
A876 Kincardine Bridge - £60 million
Glasgow Southern Orbital road - £40 million

The total cost of these projects is £522.6 million. (References available on request.)

(2) New public transport from the Scottish Executive since 1999:

The annual amount the Scottish Executive spends on the Public Transport Fund - which pays for all new public transport, walking, cycling & traffic calming improvements across Scotland - is £50 million a year.

Awards made by the Scottish Executive since 1999 have been as follows:

October 1999 - £26 million for 20 projects
November 2000 - £33 million for 19 projects
October 2001 - £75 million for 26 projects

The total cost of these projects is £134 million. (References available on request.) NB: The Scottish Executive is due to spend just £75 million over the next two years of the Public Transport Fund.

(3) The Scottish Executive's forthcoming Transport Delivery Plan:

The Transport Delivery Plan - which was first promised to be released in late 2000 - is expected to be announced by Transport Minister Wendy Alexander soon.

TRANSform Scotland is calling on the Scottish Executive to direct its limited resources towards meeting its policy objectives - rather than just meeting the claims of vested interest industry groups. The Scottish Executive must specify targets for:

¥ road traffic levels (as a proxy for climate change emissions from transport)
¥ modal shift for passenger and freight traffic towards sustainable modes
¥ the service standards people should expect from transport
¥ physical accessibility to transport