The Wales Green Party has sent papers to the Public Inquiry on the proposed M4 which starts today Tuesday 28th February.
The Green Party report debunks many of the myths about the proposed new M4 south of Newport, saying that on all measures of cost, return on investment, employment, safety, sustainability, resilience, health and climate change the Metro system outperforms the proposed M4 black route.
Pippa Bartolotti, Deputy leader for the Wales Green Party said “The new traffic reports collated by the Welsh Government for the current M4 show that in 5 years the motorway traffic has only increased by 2,842 journeys. The projected expenditure of the proposed new road is £1.5 billion – that’s more than £5million pounds for every singular extra journey, hardly good value for money. Then we have the collisions report which show that for the stretch of M4 between Castleton and Magor, the collisions reported are actually less than the national average.
“With declining trip numbers, and no numbers included on the impact of the SE Wales Metro, there is absolutely no logical reason to go ahead with this environmentally damaging build. The Commissioner for Future Generations has come out against this wasteful idea, as have all environmental organisations. It’s time we looked to a pollution free future and built a sensible light rail and tram network fit for the 21st century.”
The Wales Green Party submission to the Public Inquiry states that the proposed M4 will not provide public transport, cycleways or footpaths, and represents a failure to provide safe transit. The simplest, cheapest and healthiest solution to congestion (Metro) is blocked by a misplaced assertion that more cars on the road will solve congestion problems. The South Wales Metro will deliver a viable public transport solution which will be safer, faster and cleaner than road travel, with the capacity to expand with demand. The WG has estimated that 7,000 new jobs would be created with the building of the Metro, with a further £8bn in additional economic impact. By contrast the Proposed M4 is claimed to bring 6,500 new jobs with [1]£1.4 billion of increased benefits, but only if the Severn crossing toll is removed, which is unlikely.
Pippa Bartolotti added, “With our separately submitted paper on the Brexit-style claims made on Welsh Government pamphlets send to the general public, I believe the Welsh Government has been misleading residents in order to provoke agreement to this damaging eyesore which will afflict lasting harm on the Gwent levels, and leave us unable to take advantage of the many business opportunities which a light rail and tram network would bring.”