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Loca pressure

27th March 1997, Page 46
27th March 1997
Page 46
Page 47
Page 46, 27th March 1997 — Loca pressure
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Introduced to Parliament as a Private Members' Bill early last year by Liberal Democrat MP Don Foster, the aim of the Road Traffic Reduction Bill (RTRB) was originally twofold. First to get the Transport Secretary to draw up a national traffic reduction plan to cut UK traffic levels by 5% from 1990 levels by 2005; and by 10% from 1990 by 2010. That's since been dropped.

Second, and more importantly it also requires Local Authorities to draw up their own traffic reduction plans giving them wide discretion to reduce traffic in their own backyard. That's stayed in.

Private Member Bills usually create more column inches in the newspapers than the statute book. But Fosters received an unexpected leg-up at its second reading from Transport Nfinister John Watts who offered it qualified support.

Insisting that he "did not want a tightly prescriptive approach from Whitehall", Watts' message was simple: It's up to local authorities—not the DOT.

When it comes to paying for local traffic reduction schemes, funding will be linked to the Transport Supplementary Grant (TSG), bid for annually by LAs to help top-up their own transport budgets.

While a Local Authority can decide not to apply the RTRB, Foster says those that opt out "will have to convince the Secretary of State why. Funding will now be tied to traffic planning and they could lose out in funding terms."

Heavily reworked

However, the MP is adamant his bill is not anti-vehicle, "It's a bill to reduce congestion and pollution." While recently filming a TV programme on congestion Foster spent a day with Keynsham, Bristol-based logistics company Western Freights which operates 60 trucks and 100 trailers.

"I dived into the cab of one of their artics. The idea was just to go out briefly with the driver and talk to him—within a quarter of an hour we were stuck in a traffic jam. The driver told me if we were on a timed delivery we'd have had it. I got out and walked along the queue and talked to business users—they all said they are losing business because of congestion."

Western Freights' chairman Tini Drohan says "The fact that he did: come and listen has to be good, so often politicians have preconceived ideas— but I think he knows the reality of road haulage—without it the economy grinds to a halt."

Everyone wants to see an end to congestion, but is the RTRB the answer? According to FTA external affairs director John Guttridge: "One of the dangers is that it could be an objectors' charter with environmentalists fighting against traffic schemes on the grounds that they wouldn't reduce traffic."

Reducing traffic

But reducing traffic is easier said than done, especially as volumes will grow as the economy speeds up. "It's not just about getting a reduction it's about capping growth before you can even cut back. It's the epitome of political correctness. What a wonderful thing to do to reduce traffic—so you don't build a new shopping centre because it creates traffic, or for that matter a new rail freight terminal because that creates traffic too," says Guttridge.

Roger Higman, senior campaigner for Friends of the Earth, believes the RTRB will lead to further cuts in the trunk and local roads programmes "Expensive bypasses would only be considered after cheaper methods had been adopted to reduce traffic in the affected towns. Motorway widening schemes, and new traffic generating motonvays such as the Birmingham Northern Relief Road, would be scrapped."

His words will alarm operators praying for those bypasses although he adds: "We're not saying there should be an end to all road building, it's providing the environment can take it." Hauliers might well see a conundrum in Higman's assertion that piggyback schemes "offer environmental benefits at little cost and should be encouraged". But what if the development of a railfreight terminal generated more local truck traffic to the terminal?

Higman insists: "Our major priority is to get individuals out of cars. That being said the point of piggyback is that we're trying to get lorries off the road as quickly as possible— but that doesn't mean we're trying to get rid of all of them. The more railfreight the less distance lorries have to travel. If we're to insulate truck operators from congestion then the answer has to be to move more by rail."

FTA controller of highways and traffic Don McIntyre fears the RTRB will encourage more truck bans. "I still get depressed by the fact that typically local lorry bans are assessed on the basis of the benefits to the environment, but don't include costs to industry. If we had a bit more objectivity on local lorry controls then industry might get a better deal. When this becomes law there are real dangers simply because local authorities will focus on these measures."

Magic trick

While sympathetic to the aim of containing traffic. McIntyre says: "It has to be recognised that there's a clear link between the economy and traffic levels—the magic trick is to reduce or restrain growth without any undesirable effect on economic activity".

However, Foster says his bill takes account of those concerns and he cites the A350 through Wiltshire as an example: "It needs upgrading to provide a vital north/south route, but the upgrading, which is what Wiltshire County Council wants, will inevitably encourage extra traffic. It would be very foolish to have a bill where that sort of sensible economic development, with traffic planned for, will be prevented-it's worded very carefully so that economic activities aren't clobbered to meet a certain target reduction."

NIcIntyre, meanwhile, has identified a num

her of key areas of concern. "The most serious is that when it becomes an act it will be used as an anti-roads charter by those hostile to road improvements. Those people will simply waive the RTRB and say 'there's no point in taking this scheme forward because the authority is obliged to review traffic volumes'. The minister said the bill shouldn't be used to frustrate important roads and bypass schemes—but the temptation will be very great for those that are hostile.'

Industry must also play a central part in any review and reduction of local traffic, says McIntyre: "If a local authority wants to make a Traffic Order it has to consult organisations representing road users—but there's nothing in this bill that requires consultation. We'll be pressing for it."

He fears that over emphasis on radical controls could attract lobbying from local MPs. "I'm not saying that's what every LA will do but some might be tempted to go down that path."

Stiff opposition

Local Authorities who simply impose traffic bans to cut volumes can also expect stiff opposition. cautions McIntyre, as they can push up lorry mileage nationally as operators have to go round restricted areas.

However, the Local Authorities won't be left entirely to their own devices. The implementation of the RTRB will be covered by guidance notes drawn up by the Secretary of State for Transport and this, says McIntyre "is the really important stuff. We'll be making sure those guidance notes tackle all the things we're worried about."


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