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Photo opportunity: Greens and Socialists unite to oppose Glasgow's M74 urban motorway The new Socialist and Green MSPs, along with local campaigners, will this Monday, 12th May, declare their opposition to the M74 elevated urban motorway planned to be bulldozed across south Glasgow. (1) Monday marks the deadline for objections to the planning application for the project. The MSPs will be jointly calling for work on the project to be halted, and a Public Local Inquiry into the project held. The photo opportunity will be held at the front door of the City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow, from 12.30pm-1.00pm. Attending will be Socialist MSPs Rosie Kane, Tommy Sheridan, Frances Curran; Green MSPs Robin Harper & Patrick Harvie; and local campaigners. Glasgow MSP Rosie Kane (SSP) said: "The SSP always have, and will continue to, oppose the construction of the M74. The plans for this road were drawn up back in the Sixties and are no longer relevant." "We oppose the proposal for several reasons, including pollution levels, dangers associated with chromium waste, climate change, congestion levels and cost. I find it incredible that a Parliament which was unable to find money to pay for every child in Scotland to have free school meals can cough up £500m to pollute some of Glasgow's poorest communities." "We now know that motorway construction simply increases car use. The local communities are still largely unaware of the issues around this road and should be fully consulted on the plan. We are calling for a public inquiry into the proposal at the earliest possible date." Glasgow MSP Patrick Harvie (Green) said: "The use of road-building as an attempted solution to congestion has failed utterly, throughout the UK. The Government's massive road-building programmes have resulted in more cars making more journeys, and yet still it goes on. Since 1999, the Scottish Executive has threatened to spend £1 billion pounds on new road-building - money which should have been ploughed into public transport infrastructure." "Even according to the Executive's own consultants, the M74 extension will result in 20% more congestion and 20% more greenhouse gas emissions. It will also cause increased congestion on south side roads such as Paisley Road West, Pollokshaws Road, Victoria Road. It will increase traffic on roads in the East End. It will increase congestion on the M8 and M77, and will have no effect on the already congested Kingston Bridge." "Construction of this folly will waste up to £500m. We want the proposals stopped and a public inquiry held." ENDS Notes to Editors: (1) The M74 Northern Extension The most damaging of the Scottish Executive's roads projects is GlasgowÕs M74, the largest urban motorway project in Britain, and perhaps in the whole of Europe. The project, five miles of elevated multi-lane motorway slicing through south Glasgow, is a remnant of 1960s-style roads planning. In March 2003, in a note in an Executive press release, it emerged that the project would cost not £250 million, but between £375 million and £500 million. The Road Orders, published in the middle of an election campaign, have a deadline for objection of May 12th 2003. (2) JAM74's objection to the M74 In brief, JAM74 are objecting to the M74 for the following
reasons: (i) Central Scotland Transport Corridor Studies Final Report on M74 Corridor, pp. 35-48 and Figures 5.5-5.17. The report concludes that Glasgow in 2010 with the M74 scheme built Òshows a network which is more congested (even with the additional capacity provided by the M74) than in 2000.Ó (ibid, pp. 42, 5.6.3). (3) Further information For further information see briefing "Heading in the Wrong Direction" - available at http://uk.geocities.com/jam74_uk END OF NEWS RELEASE |