Get Edinburgh Moving

NEWS RELEASE

Tuesday 22nd February 2005

EDINBURGH CONGESTION CHARGE REFERENDUM:
Environmental groups respond to 'no' vote

Get Edinburgh Moving today (Tuesday 22nd) today expressed their disappointment with the 'no' vote in the Edinburgh road pricing referendum - and set out what now needs to happen to tackle pollution in Edinburgh.

Mark Sydenham, spokesperson for Get Edinburgh Moving, said:

"We still think that this was a workable and practical scheme and are disappointed that it has been rejected. Congestion charging would have been good for public transport users, good for public health, good for the environment, and good for the economy.

"Action still needs to be taken to tackle Edinburgh's unhealthy levels of air pollution. The Council must now take forward plans for closing central areas of Edinburgh that fail European air quality standards.

David Spaven, Chair of TRANSform Scotland, said:

"It would have been astonishing for there to have been a 'yes' vote in this referendum given the deliberate campaign of misinformation carried out by the local media. This calls into question how referenda can be held when the media has been as irresponsible and unbalanced as it has in Edinburgh."

Duncan McLaren, Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:

"We challenge those parties that have congestion charging as a national policy position to come forward with a workable scheme as part of their manifestos for the 2007 local elections. Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP and the Greens all have support for congestion charging in their national policies. The test is whether parties are prepared to do more than talk a good game. So far, the Lib Dems and the Nationalists have manifestly failed in this respect."

Jos Dings, Director of the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E), said:

"It's worrying that Edinburgh has taken a step in the wrong direction. Congestion in Scottish cities will not go away. Germany and Switzerland are already operating successful national charging schemes, and a congestion charge will be launched in Stockholm in August."

"The public tend to get behind such schemes only after launch, when the real benefits are felt by all. Before the London scheme was introduced, 43% of Londoners were opposed and 38% supported. But several months after the launch, those for the charge outnumbered those against by more than two to one."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Get Edinburgh Moving

Get Edinburgh Moving is a coalition of transport, environment, student and community groups pressing for a 'yes' vote in February's referendum on transport. See http://www.getedinburghmoving.org for more information.

Get Edinburgh Moving members include:
Campaign for Borders Rail
ctc Scotland
Capital Rail Action Group
Friends of the Earth Edinburgh
Friends of the Earth Scotland
Gorgie Park Close and Slateford Green Residents' Association
People and Planet
Scottish Association for Public Transport
Spokes
Sustrans
TRANSform Scotland
WWF Scotland

[2] Yes to Edinburgh

Yes to Edinburgh is a non-party organisation open to anyone who supports our aim of winning the transport referendum in 2005, and ensuring overwhelming public support for the most ambitious transport plans any British city has ever seen.
Supporters include leading members of the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Independent MSPs, business organisations and individual companies, environmental groups, students, pensioners, parents and more. It is open to all who support our aims. See http://www.yestoedinburgh.com for more information.

END OF PRESS RELEASE