JOHN PRESCOTT has junked any idea of cutting the number of cars on Britain’s roads. In a complete U-turn, Prescott announced the speeding up of the government’s programme of road building schemes. Any idea of creating an environmentally safe and cheap integrated transport system has gone out of the window.
Government officials admit there will be a 30 percent increase in the number of cars over the next six years.
The increase in road building will mean that road congestion will continue to grow for at least ten years.
Environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth believes Prescott’s plans will increase traffic pollution in cities and towns by 20 percent. New Labour has capitulated to newspapers like the Daily Mail which have accused the government of ‘waging war’ on car drivers.
Prescott is also going out of his way to appease car manufacturers. Last weekend he invited leading car manufacturers including Ford, Vauxhall and Rover to a transport summit. At the meeting he reassured these multinationals that he had no intention of threatening their interests.
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