NEWS RELEASE
Tuesday 10th April 2007

SCOTTISH LABOUR MANIFESTO:
TRANSform Scotland response

TRANSform Scotland [1] has today (Tuesday 10th April 2007) called for Labour to clarify how it will achieve a reduction in climate change emissions whilst continuing its programme of major road-building and air travel expansion.

Colin Howden, Director of TRANSform Scotland said:

"Labour say they want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector but at the same time commit to more road-building, removing bridge tolls and increasing subsidies for aviation."

"There's a lot of positive-sounding material on transport in Labour's manifesto but it's all terribly vague and inspecific. We need to see concrete measures to reduce carbon emissions from roads and aviation, not bland platitudes about supporting international action.

"What we do however see is firm commitments to new road-building in the form of a Second Forth Road Bridge, despite their not having full evidence on the state of the current bridge, and the removal of tolls on the Forth and Tay bridges."

"Labour have also completely dropped reference to promoting road pricing schemes, whether local schemes or the proposed UK-wide road pricing scheme. In terms of measures to tackle congestion in urban areas, Labour have gone backwards from four years ago."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] TRANSform Scotland

TRANSform Scotland is the national sustainable transport alliance, bringing together rail, bus and shipping operators, local authorities, national environment and conservation groups, businesses and local transport groups.

We can be contacted at Lamb's House, Burgess Street, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6RD. Tel 0131 467 7714; fax 0131 554 8656; email <info@transformscotland.org.uk>; web <http://www.transformscotland.org.uk>.

[2] Scottish Labour's manifesto is available at <http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/manifesto2007/>

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