NEWS RELEASE - Thursday 21st March 2002

Scottish Executive transport plan repeats failed road building strategy of the 1960s

TRANSform Scotland today attacked the Scottish ExecutiveÕs Transport Delivery Report, launched this morning by Transport Minister Wendy Alexander, as ÒmisguidedÓ.

Colin Howden, Campaign Manager of TRANSform Scotland, said:

ÒWendy Alexander Transport Plan Strategy positively revels in the misguided pro-road, pro-car policies of the 1960s. Yet it is precisely these policies that have landed us with out of control traffic growth, dilapidated public transport and uncontrolled climate change emissions."

TRANSform Scotland thinks that the Minister's claim that there is a Ònational consensusÓ on transport is flawed. Colin Howden said:

ÒThere is no national consensus on transport. The Executive was elected on a promise to massively improve public transport yet Wendy AlexanderÕs spending priority is a £500 million road building programme."

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.