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30th July 2007
New Government posts and transport policy
Dear Sir,
Your correspondent Stephen Larkin (Letters 27th July) looks forward to new ministerial posts helping transport in the North East.
Mr Larkin claims a need for an A1 upgrade, expansion of airports, a new deep sea terminal and better rail links.
We agree the last two points, but suggest that more or larger roads, and yet more flights, are the last developments the Region needs. More roads lead to more traffic on our existing and inelastic residential infrastructure. More flights convey people to overpopulate foreign beaches and spend their money abroad, while destroying the environment for all of us.
If Mr Larking writes for the Institution of Civil Engineers - North East, he should instead urge his colleagues to put their professional skills behind the essential task of reducing transport dependency, reducing traffic on our roads, and confining flights to essential journeys and not fun jaunts, virtually for free. That is the exciting challenge for all of us, this millennium.
Yours faithfully,
Paul Winch,
Co-ordinator,
Tyne Crossings Alliance.
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