Traffic Growth Proves Government Transport Strategy Flawed

12.00.00am GMT Sun 27th Feb 2005

The Government's transport strategy is failing to get people out of their cars and on to public transport, the Liberal Democrats can reveal. Figures from the Department for Transport show that road traffic in England has increased by nearly 9% since 1997.

The figures also reveal the ten local authority areas with the biggest percentage increase in road traffic since Labour came to power.

Milton Keynes comes in at no. 8 with 14% traffic growth.

Commenting on the figures Jane Carr, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for North East Milton Keynes said: "John Prescott said that he would have failed if he didn't reduce the number of car journeys undertaken in this country. Labour promised to cut road traffic, but year after year the figures are going up, not down.

"Without a safe, reliable and affordable public transport network traffic congestion will rise unabated. The Government has failed both commuters who rely on public transport and motorists."

Milton Keynes Council's cabinet member responsible for highways and transport, Graham Mabbutt, said: "The Labour Government is expecting Milton Keynes to grow and develop, yet their own government agencies are failing to deliver the transport and highway improvements needed for growth.

"We have all seen the consequences of the actions of the Strategic Rail Authority in cuts to our inter-city trains at peak hours. This is hitting not only the commuters travelling out of Milton Keynes, but also those who travel into Milton Keynes to work or do business here. This is not the way to get people out of cars and on to the trains.

"We have also seen the lack of investment by another government body, the Highways Agency. No improvements to Junction 13 on the M1 are proposed before 2011, and nothing is planned to increase the capacity of Junction 14. The only plans are to make some improvements to the surrounding roundabouts and road junctions - not funded by Government but paid for by developers who want to build in the eastern flank of Milton Keynes.

"Finally, another government agency - English Partnerships - which owns the Coachway, has failed over the years to develop this gateway to Milton Keynes."

Neil Stuart, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Milton Keynes South West says "The Government must invest properly in our rail network and return our peak hour inter-city trains. They should show their support for public transport by funding the long awaited East-West Rail Link from Oxford via Bletchley and Bedford to Cambridge, and give more powers to local councils to control and improve local bus services. Only then will people leave their cars at home and use public transport."