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Railhub Archive 1996-04-25 DoT-001 Department of Transport0
Transport: the way forward – Sir George Young sets out a vision for the future
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         Transport: the way forward – Sir George Young sets out a vision for the future _______________________________________________________________

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type Press release note 129
The first transport policy document for nearly two decades was published today by Transport Secretary, Sir George Young. The Green Paper, Transport: The Way Forward, sets out the Governments response to the national transport debate. It contains more than 20 key measures based on: -better planning of transport infrastructure; -making better use of existing transport systems; -reducing car dependence, especially in towns; -switching emphasis from roads to public transport; and -reducing the impact of road freight. The central message is that traffic growth, and its impact on congestion and pollution, is a major issue which must be addressed in a more strategic way than in the past. Announcing publication, Sir George Young, said: Transport touches almost every part of our lives: it brings huge benefits through personal freedom and helps increase national wealth. But people have been growing concerned about congestion on the roads, and the problems of traffic noise and pollution. This Green Paper sets out the Governments assessment of the future for transport in the UK, and the measures which need to be taken to meet the differing demands of the economy, the environment and the individual. Sir George Young added: Traffic growth, and its impact on congestion and environmental pollution, were key issues emerging from the national debate. This Green Paper tackles these issues directly. The Government recognises that, without additional measures, currently forecast levels of traffic growth will lead to increasingly severe congestion and pressures on the environment and, in that sense, will not be sustainable indefinitely. We also recognise the central importance of maintaining a transport system which provides business with an efficient means of moving goods and raw materials around the country. We need to put more weight on public transport in our future spending decisions. At the same time, future spending on roads will focus increasingly on managing the network and providing much needed bypasses. The Government firmly believes that a strong economy and a healthy environment can complement each other. The Green paper includes more than twenty specific areas for action. Among the most important measures are: - a new system of planning for trunk roads, so that they can be considered as part of a wider strategy and to smooth out delays; - new powers for local authorities to manage traffic - tougher standards for new vehicles, making use of new - increased powers for local authorities to reduce - tougher enforcement of safety and environmental - an independent examination of the links between - new initiatives to promote the use of the bus; and - wide-ranging discussions with industry on measures to improve the efficiency of business transport. Sir George noted: "It is clear from the measures we propose that there is a major role for local authorities in taking forward many of the initiatives. The Government wants to work very closely with local authorities, who have the best knowledge of local needs and problems." The Secretary of State highlighted the major progress made in the last few years, with significant public investment, firm measures to tackle the environmental impact of transport, and increasing involvement of the private sector in transport operations. Among the most significant achievements were: *investment of over #24 billion in trunk roads and motorways since 1979; *#15 billion invested in national railways since 1979, allowing major developments such as the electrification of the East Coast Main Line; *#7 billion invested in London Transport; Government support for new light rail schemes in Manchester and South Yorkshire; *Tighter vehicle emission regulations, which will mean that by 2005 many pollutants will have fallen to less than half their 1990 levels in urban areas; *reduced growth in carbon emissions from transport, as a result of higher fuel duties. The UK is on course to meet its target of returning emissions to 1990 levels by 2000; *new arrangements for local transport funding encourage local authorities to take a more strategic view of local needs; *successes of privatisation for the airline industry; for ports and airports; for coaches and buses; and for road freight; *extension of the benefits of privatisation to the rail industry, with over one third of the industry now in private hands, and customers already feeling the benefits of the new approach to rail operations. Besides detailing specific new measures, the paper addresses the underlying principles of transport policy, and in particular sets out the reasoning behind the Governments policy that transport users should, as far as possible, pay their full costs. Sir George continued: The Green Paper puts particular weight on the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP) 1994 report, Transport and the Environment, which played a major part in getting the transport debate off the ground NOTES TO EDITORS 1. Copies of Transport - The Way Forward are available from HMSO price #15.70 (ISBN 0-10-132342-5). A summary version is also available. 2. The paper concentrates on domestic, surface transport in England. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has produced a statement on transport priorities there; the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales intend to publish transport policy statements later. # = pounds sterling
Railhub Archive ::: 1996-04-25 DoT-001
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