Scots Tories back roads
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SCOTTISH Tories in conference at Perth last week defeated by a big majority a motion calling on the Government to cut its road building programme and build an efficient rail system. The motion said that they recognised that railways were more efficient when considerations of the environment and energy consumption were taken into account.
Before the motion was de bated the Scottish region of the Freight Transport Association had written to all Scottish Conservative MPs telling them of the dangers of diverting resources from roads to the railways.
Government aid had failed to make the railways more efficient, reliable and competitive and it was illogical to assume that railways could be made more viable by reducing the effectiveness of road transport, said the FTA.
They told the MPs that more subsidies for the railways would do nothing to improve access to vast areas of Scotland where the roads provided the sole means of transport.