15/Jul/09

An alliance of twenty Welsh organisations is calling on the Assembly Government to perform a U-turn on transport policy.

As the long-awaited National Transport Plan is put out to consultation an unprecedented coalition has come together to call for a shift away from road building to fund a bold package of measures to help tackle climate change.

For the first time public transport operators have joined passenger watchdogs, health groups and NGOs to press for greater priority to be given to a range of initiatives that promote green transport.

“We’re fed up of strategies promising greener transport when half the transport budget is tied up in road schemes.  From past experience we know this will result in more people driving further and faster", said Lee Waters, Chair of Sustainable Transport Cymru.  "If we are serious about tackling climate change and creating a healthier Wales, we urgently need a bold shift in transport policy. Projects which cut car use should be given priority” he added.

The Sustainable Transport Cymru coalition has agreed a list of measures which command widespread support to cut car use and reduce carbon emissions:

- Measures to promote integrated transport, for example, multi-modal ticketing, bus / rail interchanges, Smart Cards and secure cycle parking.

- A range of ‘Smarter Choices’ measures.  For example, Travel planning, Car Clubs, Car sharing, Bus Real Time information systems, Park & Ride, showers and lockers in workplaces.

- Traffic calming and speed restraint in residential areas to encourage walking and cycling

- An extensive network of shared paths for walking and cycling (segregated from traffic)

- Congestion charging allied with extra investment in public transport

- Parking control (including low parking standards for new developments, charging, use of workplace parking levies, re-development of parking space for more productive uses);

- An extension of safe routes to schools (for example, by using traffic-calming measures near schools and by creating or improving walking and cycle routes to schools).

- Reallocation of road space towards sustainable modes of transport

- An integrated marketing strategy to target information on those who are susceptible to change the way they travel;

- Demand responsive services, including community transport, to tackle social exclusion in rural areas and other areas of transport poverty.

- A wide reaching awareness raising campaign educating the public in the techniques involved in more efficient driving, for journeys where sustainable modes of transport are not an option.

These measures to reduce car dependency should be funded by a shift away from road building. 

ENDS

For further information contact Lee Waters on 07764774650 / 02920 650602, or any of the organisations listed below.
 

Editor’s notes

Sustainable Transport Cymru is an alliance of Welsh organisations from the private, public and voluntary sectors.  We support efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of travelling and to create an environment where people have access to essential local services without the need to use a car.

The alliance consists of:

BayTrans
Bevan Foundation
British Heart Foundation Cymru
BMA Cymru
Bus Users UK Cymru
Campaign for National Parks
Confederation of Passenger Transport Cymru (CPT)
CTC Cymru
Energy Saving Trust
Passenger Focus
Physical Activity Network for Wales
Railfuture Wales
Severn Tunnel Action Group
Snowdonia Society
Sustrans Cymru
Traveline Cymru
Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA)
WWF Cymru
YHA Cymru

What we’d like to see

Given the urgency of the need to reduce carbon emissions to tackle climate change, Sustainable Transport Cymru would like the National and Regional Transport Plans to take bold action to reduce the contribution Wales makes towards global warming. 

We believe a package of complementary measures is urgently needed to change travel behaviour and lock-in the benefits to reduce traffic.  With more than a third of households in parts of Wales without access to a car we believe that the National and Regional Transport Plans should commit to a comprehensive package of hard and soft measures to reduce car dependency and encourage active forms of travel.

You can read the full policy call at:

http://sustainabletransportcymru.blogspot.com/