17 November 2010
Scottish Budget - news release
Roads spend up; Rail spend down; Commitment to tackling climate change unclear
Transform Scotland [1] today welcomed many of the transport elements in the Draft Budget 2011-12 but questioned whether the Government's climate change targets can be met given the continued increase in spending on new road projects.
Colin Howden, Director of Transform Scotland, said:
"We are disappointed to see the continuing trend towards increasing spending on roads at the expense of sustainable transport. Capital spending on roads has increased by £32m while rail will decrease by over £41m. In this Budget, projected spending on the Second Forth Road Bridge is already vast at £200m. But in the following four years, annual expenditure on the Bridge will be approximately double this amount each and every year. This will seriously constrain future options for improving Scotland's public transport network.
"There are a number of positives in the Budget. We are pleased to note continued commitment to delivering the Borders Railway and the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Project, as well as renewed commitment to Glasgow Fastlink. There are also increases in expenditure on the National Smartcard, while Sustainable and Active Travel is increased by 15% and the Climate Challenge Fund is increased by around 10%. There is also £11m for broadband development and raising business rates in out-of-town retail sites are also to be welcomed.
"Many of these items are small, however. The Report on Policies and Proposals, also published today, sets out a wide range of new sustainable transport measures vital for the Government to meet its legal responsibilities under the Climate Change Act. But the overall thrust of this budget does not deliver the step change in spending priorities that will be needed to meet the targets in the government's climate change action plan."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
[1] 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 - see <http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/members.aspx> for details.
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