New Transport Plans Lack Costing and Detail

4.30.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 2nd Oct 2007

The much talked up statement by the Minister for Transport today failed to convincingly show a real shift in the Government's policy towards a more sustainable and accessible transport system in Wales.

Kirsty Williams, Lib Dem spokesperson on Transport attacked the Minister's lack of detail and labelled his speech a "pre statement".

In her response to the statement Kirsty was quick to pick up on the Minister's failings to address a "significant modal shift in transport" with his "Preoccupation with road building" which would mean the Government will be unable to reach its targets to reduce carbon emissions.

Kirsty highlighted that despite the Minister's environmental talk the Super-Highway in Deeside and the M4 expansions in South Wales are still going ahead to the great fear of environmentalist and residents alike.

The Lib Dems inclusion of Demonstration Towns in their pre-election manifesto was highlighted and the Government's move in this direction was welcomed with caution. Sustrans, the sustainable transport lobby group, have stated that for a pilot town to be effective £30 million will need to be invested and Kirsty expressed concern that the jam being spread too thinly would work to the detriment of the scheme.

Kirsty Williams concluded that "The Statement did not live up to the headlines. It is not a transport plan and I call upon the Minister to come back when he has something worth saying."

Notes:

The Lib Dems Pre-Election 2007 Manifesto states:

Promote cycling by establishing a pilot cycling demonstration town and invite bids from across the country to host it, with the aim of rolling it out at a later date. This area would then receive increased funding to complete missing links in the existing cycle network, improve signage and parking, improve training and extensive promotion of cycling as a transport mode.