21 December 2009
Aberdeen western bypass announcement in conflict with Government's climate change commitments
Transform Scotland [1] today (Monday 21st) criticised the Scottish Government's decision to proceed with the Aberdeen western bypass ('Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route'). [2] The sustainable transport alliance considers the decision to proceed with the project places the Government's climate change commitments under threat.
Colin Howden, Director of Transform Scotland, said:
"Last week the Scottish Government lectured the world at Copenhagen that it was leading the way on climate change. [3] This week it gives the go-ahead for a hugely damaging and polluting new road scheme. The message that the public will hear is that it's OK to carry on driving – and in fact that government is going to subsidise you to carry on doing so. With this sort of decision-making, it is difficult to have any confidence that the government's climate change commitments are anything more than window-dressing. These funds could be going into cutting greenhouse gas emissions – but instead we see more money pumped into a project that will worsen Scotland's chances of meeting its climate commitments."The western bypass will do nothing to address the key traffic congestion issue in Aberdeen. Everyone knows that the real problem is car commuting into the city, especially during the morning rush hour – something that an orbital road will do nothing to address. The best way that this could be tackled would be to deliver commuter rail routes into the city. It is unfortunate that the Scottish Government seem unwilling to invest in public transport, and instead continues to subsidise car use. The only thing that this project will deliver is car-dependent commuter sprawl and out-of-town retail tin-sheds."What we haven't heard today is how much the project will cost. No-one believes that the £395m price-tag, a figure which dates from 2005, is a realistic estimate for this project. Given that the Government has already chopped one public transport scheme (the Glasgow Airport Rail Link) due to budget constraints, questions must be asked as to what other sustainable transport investment will be at risk should the price of this project rise even further."And given the ongoing series of cuts to public sector jobs and services already being carried out by Aberdeen City Council, it will be interesting to see which further local cuts will be required so that Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils can meet their financial commitments towards the already excessive cost of this project."ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] Transform Scotland is the national sustainable transport alliance, bringing together rail, bus and shipping operators, local authorities, national environment and conservation groups, businesses and local transport groups - see <
http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/our-members.aspx> for details.
[2] SG news release: <
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2009/12/21114130>
[3] See e.g. today's news release: <
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2009/12/21082404>.
END OF NEWS RELEASE