TRAFFIC SOARS UNDER NEW LABOUR (02/09/02)

MORE CARS, MORE FUMES, MORE LIES

Labour promised us reduced traffic. John Prescott pledged in 1997, ‘I will have failed if in five years time there are not… far fewer journeys by car.’

He has failed. There are more cars, more journeys made and more congestion on Somerset’s roads.

In the last year, traffic levels have increased by 1.3% nationally. In the South-West in 2001, vehicles travelled an incredible 45 billion kilometres. Over 98,000 cars use the roads in the South-West region.

Conservative spokesperson for Environment and Transport, Denis Underhill, said, ‘Since Prescott made his empty promise five years ago, car use has increased by 5 per cent. The use of motorways has gone up by a staggering 20 per cent.

‘Where does this leave us in Somerset? The Labour Government does not care. The money provided for rural buses is negligible. There are less and less people using public transport but Labour are doing nothing to address this.

‘Rather than working in partnership with bus companies, Labour want to burden them with expensive regulations. People in rural Somerset are finding services being cancelled due to lack of funding from Government.

‘What is more, in rural areas, the car is not a luxury but a necessity. It is about time the Government accepted this. Instead of attacking the motorist, decent options should be provided.

‘If Somerset had an efficient bus service that offered value for money, people would want to use it. Motorists should not be forced out of their cars when there is no alternative for them.

‘The annual figures prove that once again, this Labour government does not have the capability to solve the problems on our roads. Instead, they flounder, hoping to find the solution in penalising the motorist.’