THE GOVERNMENT announced a U-turn in its transport policy in the December, after it discovered that traffic congestion was going to rise by up to 20 percent by 2010, instead of fall by 6 percent as predicted.
Until then, they claimed to be trying to curb car use and to be encouraging use of public transport. Now, they have returned full-scale to "predict and provide" on road, with the announcement of 30 new big roadbuilding schemes.
At the same time, they abandoned their plan to increase rail use by 50percent by 2010.
Everyone - except motor industry lobbyists - knows that this policy will produce even more congestion and contribute further to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Transport is the fastest rising emitter of GHGs in Britain and globally.
The failure of the government policy started when they froze fuel taxes, as their
mpt to price motorists off the roads coled following the lorry drivers blockades m 200C Meanwhile, February 17th sees the start of the new congestion charging scheme in central London. 800 cameras are to photograph the number plates of the 250.000 cars entering the zone daily.
The predicted 25.000 daily blurred mages are to be checked manually by a few
London A few extra buses can't compensate for the continuing problems on tube and rail
dozen people, employed by the private company. Capita raised about the accuracy of the automatic system, and it is likely that thousands will be incorrectly charged. up to El 40 if you pay 4 weeks late.
hypocritically councils. public transport Questions have been sidered other measures, muting Expecting problems with the technology and the unpopularity of congestion charging with poorer workers, the government is
distancing itself from Livingstone's initiative, which is enthusiastically supported by the Green Party.
At the same time New Labour are encouraging its adoption by other local
Regressive taxes to curb motoring should be opposed, because they hit the poor hardest. It is not possible to build working class support for green politics with measures that attack the working class.
The Socialist Alliance needs to discuss equitable policies for controlling car use, as an alternative to congestion charging and alongside its call for massive investment in
This will be an important issue in the next GLA elections. Livingstone could have conless technically complex and easier to apply to the whole of greater London, like car-sharing for comInstead, he has adopted a policy that will give environmentalism a bad name. Saturday 8 February Manchester Anti Nazi League Annual Conference -Anti fascism in Italy, music and fighting the Nazis, workshops for trade unionists and students. More info at www.anl.org.uk 15 February London Stop the War Demonstration, Part of international day of action agreec at Florence ESF Sunday 23 February London National meeting for all Socialist Alliance members and supporters in the RMT, ASLEF and TSSA in London from 12 noon at the Lucas Arms, Grays InnRoad, nearest station Kings Cross www.socialistalliance.net 15 March London Socialist Alliance National Conference South Camden Community School, More details from the website www.socialistalliance.net
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