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TYNE CROSSINGS ALLIANCE
PRESS RELEASE : Tell the PTA, Darling
Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority (PTA)
should heed Transport Secretary Alistair Darling's recent statement
"You can't build yourself out of the problem we face", say a
local transport campaign group.
The Tyne Crossings Alliance, which is campaigning
to stop the construction of the proposed second Tyne road tunnel, says
that Mr Darling's comments support assertions made by objectors since
the PTA first proposed the road tunnel. Mr Darling continued,
"Either we build more and more motorways... or we take a
radically different look at how we manage the system."
Mr Darling also suggested that congestion charging
models should be introduced and drivers encouraged to use public
transport alternatives.
Alliance spokesperson, Brian Paget said:
"Objectors to the second road tunnel have said
that new construction is not a solution ever since the PTA first came
up with this half baked idea. This announcement by Mr Darling
follows statements by transport expert Professor Howard Elcock and the
Government's own transport advisor, Dr Denvil Coombe, that new road
construction is not congestion's magic bullet.
"This all clearly indicates that the PTA are
pursuing a project based upon outmoded thinking in the face of expert
and Government opinion.
"Our message to the PTA is clear.
Withdraw the application to build the second tunnel and stop this
project now, and start devising radical solutions to congestion."
Notes to Editors
- Based upon statements made by Mr Darling to the Observer
newspaper, Sunday 8th June 2003. Full story online at: http://www.observer.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,973035,00.html
- Howard Elcock, Professor of Government at Northumbria University
criticised the PTA's approach to transport management at the recent
Public Inquiry into the tunnel project in Jarrow. He gave
evidence on behalf of objectors CPRE. His evidence is
available on the Tyne Crossings Alliance website: www.tyne-crossings.org/
- The Tyne Crossings Alliance consists of: Campaign for the
Protection of Rural England (CPRE), Friends of the Earth (FOE),
Living Streets, Railway Development Society, Roadpeace, The Green
Party, Transport 2000, Tynebikes.
- For further information on the campaign to stop the second Tyne
road tunnel see the Tyne Crossings Alliance website: www.tyne-crossings.org/
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