NEWS RELEASE

Monday 17th March 2008

Scottish Government sustainable travel towns announcement:
Welcome for funding announcement for traffic reduction initiative

TRANSform Scotland [1] today welcomed the Scottish Government's announcement of £15m funding for a series of 'sustainable travel demonstration communities' across Scotland. [1]

Colin Howden, Director of TRANSform Scotland said:

"This will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase how small-scale local transport projects can get people to switch to sustainable transport.

"The English scheme has proved very successful. Given the additional funding available in the Scottish scheme, there is no reason why this shouldn't deliver even better results. [2]

"If Scotland is to achieve its ambitious climate change emission targets then the transport sector is going to have to play a large part. The sustainable travel towns will provide examples of how to bring about reductions in carbon emissions.

"We hope that many local authorities around Scotland will bring forward bids. It's important that we see a range of towns in both urban and rural areas take forward sustainable travel towns."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

[1] See <http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/03/17083340> for Scottish Government news release.

[2] The equivalent English scheme received funding of £10m over 3 years, and was spent on 3 towns. The Scottish scheme intends to spend up to £15m over 3 years, to be spent on an as yet unknown number of towns.

END OF NEWS RELEASE