Building Of More Roads Not The Answer. Stronger Emphasis Needed On Public Transport
In a drafted response to the Welsh governments ‘Draft National Transport Plan’ – Wales Green Party Spokesperson – Elly Foster has issued this critical response:
“The main concern Wales Green Party has with the Draft National Transport Plan is that its underlying premise is that economic growth is desirable. We know it is unachievable as we have only Earth’s resources.
It is stated at the outset that sustainable development links all the policies. In our opinion economic growth and sustainable development are opposing notions.
We need to return to a much more community based style of living that doesn’t require us to travel such great distances to reach our places of work or to obtain our daily food and living requirements.”
Her appraisal of the Draft goes even further questioning the validity and value of the timing of this policy release.
”It seems strange to me that with there being only a little over a year before the Welsh Assembly elections – that a national transport policy for Wales should be issued now. With the strong possibility of there being a Government change within the Assembly – there is a high chance that the next Government in power would completely disregard this policy anyway. Surely it would make more logical sense to wait until after the elections in 2015 before progressing any new ideas or strategies in relation to our transport planning!”
Wales Green Party Leader Pippa Bartolotti added her voice to the calls for a transportation policy rethink:
“There is no longer any question that we have to leave all remaining fossil fuels in the ground. Transportation plays a huge part in global warming and individuals cannot be expected to reduce emissions if there is no viable public transport available. Privatisation has left our travelling communities bereft of sensible travel options, and the Welsh Government must step up to the mark and make public transport cleaner, cheaper, and more frequent.”
The Wales Green Party has a strong commitment to long term planning that places sustainable development at its core. Its pro-renewable energy stance is extended to its views on long term transportation planning where there is a recognition that we need to have a ‘radical rethink’ of how we will all move around in the future in a world where there will be no fossil fuels to power us.
Bartolotti continued: “ Building yet another major road will make the problem worse. Electric light rail systems and efficiently fuelled buses will be a win win. Let’s take polluting traffic off the roads and let’s give Wales a public transport system we can be proud to use. We can’t think climate change away. We have to act – now!”