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'Business knows that good quality roads improve business costs'

14th December 1995
Page 53
Page 53, 14th December 1995 — 'Business knows that good quality roads improve business costs'
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

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oad spending has been slashed by the Government because the Transport Secretary says this reflects the views expressed to him in the transport debate. This is a considerable change of attitude by a Government that in May of this year published a white paper on competitiveness that said: "Quick, reliable, cost-effective transport links play an important role in the competitiveness of British business."

The Government's decision to reduce expenditure on trunk roads and motorways was depressingly predictable. The publication of another review, Managing the Trunk Road Programme, presents far more serious concerns. The review sees the withdrawal of 77 schemes and the relegation of a further 104 schemes to the longer-term programme. This effectively halves the roads programme that was established only 18 months ago. Early indications suggest that schemes in the main programme could take up to 15 years to complete with those in the long-term category going up to 20 years. How does this fulfil the aim of making Britain more competitive? What is also generally accepted by both major parties is that an increase in GDP is a desirable goal. However, this has not been matched by recognition that an increase in GDP will heighten the demand for transport and that improvements to the transport infrastructure must be made to meet this demand. And it goes in the face of advice from both the CBI and other business organisations who have called upon the Government to improve transport infrastructure. In a recent forum the CBI regions placed improvements to the road network at the top of their campaigning agenda. Business knows that good quality roads improve business costs and give British business better access to both foreign and domestic markets. But it is not only business that has been badly affected by the ending of the roads programme. Cutting popular local bypasses and stopping schemes that reduce congestion—and improve the environment—has real disbenef its for the ordinary person both in their capacity as a motorist and as a local resident. All over the country people are beginning to wake up to the fact that their local bypass programme or road improvement scheme, often long fought over, has been cancelled or put on a long-term list. We are already seeing calls for local bypasses gaining more national and local coverage as the media becomes aware of the wide public support for road schemes. What we need is for the Government to listen to business and to ordinary people and come up with a long-term transport policy that meets their requirements. At present the Government seems to be adrift, changing its tack on transport with every new spending cut by the Treasury and no long-term transport objective in sight. If it does not develop a transport policy then congestion will slowly increase, accidents will rise as more traffic is directed on to inappropriate roads and the transport costs of industry will grow, making the country bit by bit less competitive. It is time for leadership from Government on transport, otherwise Britain will be left with a third-world, third-rate transport system.

• if you want to sound off about a road transport issue write to features editor Patric Cunnane,

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