NEWS RELEASE
Tuesday 12th April 2007

SNP MANIFESTO:
TRANSform Scotland response

TRANSform Scotland [1] has today (Thursday 12th April 2007) welcomed the direction of the SNP's plans for railways, but questioned their commitment to tackling climate change given the manifesto's support for new road-building and opposition to road pricing.

Colin Howden, Director of TRANSform Scotland said:

"The SNP talk a lot of sense in terms of better utilisation of Scotland's existing rail network. While the other major parties have got lost in fantasies about bullet trains, the SNP have set out some practical suggestions about improving journey times on our inter-city rail network.

"Their targets for climate change emission reduction are welcome, as are their proposals for linking energy, transport and environmental policies.

"Where the SNP fall down is their continuing attachment to new road-building and opposition to road pricing. There is no chance of reducing climate change emissions from the transport sector while government continues to subsidise road use through new road-building, and fails to make road users pay for their impact on society and the environment.

"The SNP will also have to get over their ill-considered opposition to the Edinburgh tram scheme. Their proposals for £4 million to be spent on buses is truly pitiful compared to the massive improvement to the public transport network that the tram system would provide."

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] The SNP's manifesto is available at <http://snp.org/policies>

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