 |
NEWS RELEASE
Thursday 20th April 2006
National Transport Strategy consultation -
Scottish Executive fails to take action to tackle climate change
TRANSform Scotland, Scotland's campaign for sustainable
transport, have today responded to the launch of the Scottish Executive's
consultative draft National Transport Strategy. [1]
Colin Howden, Director of TRANSform Scotland, said:
"We've already had over a decade of debate on how to take action
to reduce traffic and pollution levels, yet this strategy sets out no
new measures to accomplish this.
"Three weeks ago, when launching the Executive's climate change strategy,
Environment Minister Ross Finnie said that all sectors of government would
have to take action to reduce climate change emissions. If the Executive
ditches the target to tackle traffic levels, then Transport Minister Tavish
Scott will demonstrate that he is not serious about tackling climate change.
"Four years ago, the Executive pledged to reduce traffic levels.
The only real way to reduce emissions is to reduce traffic levels. Technical
fixes are great in theory but without strong measures such as road pricing,
emissions from transport will continue to rise. It is plain wrong for
the Executive to claim that it doesn't have measures at its disposal to
reduce traffic levels.
"Tavish Scott tells us that road pricing might be feasible in a decade
or so time. This is just not good enough. The Scottish Executive has plenty
of measures it could take to reduce traffic levels, but instead it chooses
to subsidise car use by ploughing billions into new road-building. Just
yesterday, it raised the prospect of spending another £260 million
on the A9 whilst making no analysis of sustainable alternatives to road-building."
TRANSform Scotland are holding a conference 'Facing the Flood'
on transport, climate change and the Scottish Executive's National Transport
Strategy [2]. Transport Minister Tavish Scott has declined to speak at
the conference.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] TRANSform Scotland
TRANSform Scotland is the national sustainable transport alliance, campaigning
for a more sustainable and more socially-just transport system. Our membership
includes bus, rail and shipping operators, local authorities, national
environment and conservation groups, consultancies and local transport
campaigns.
[2] TRANSform Scotland conference on transport and climate
change
'Facing the Flood': Transport, Climate Change and the Scottish Executive's
National Transport Strategy'
Monday 8th May, Edinburgh - The Hub, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh
http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/events/
END OF NEWS RELEASE
|
|
