Transport Strategy - Green Veneer But No Substance

4.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 6th May 2008

The Deputy First Minister today announced a Welsh Transport Strategy with a green veneer but no real change in policy delivery. Despite a recognition of an over-dependency on car travel, a need to reduce CO2 emissions from transport and a need to change travel behaviour the announcement did not offer any real or positive action to tackle these problems; with road building remaining at the heart of the Government's plans.

Kirsty Williams AM, Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Transport commented: "95% of our transport system is reliant on oil, but the price of oil is now over $100 a barrel and is predicted to increase steeply in the future. The days of cheap oil are fast becoming a thing of the past. This in itself is an argument for a step change in the research and development of viable alternatives, let alone the related environmental concerns. Yet the strategy does not address the issue of energy security nor does it seek to move away from this dependence and look seriously at alternatives.

"The strategy has placed an emphasis on Bio fuels, but fails to take into account increasing concerns that these are not the miracle solution that was once believed - with issues of food shortages and deforestation clouding their benefits.

"Any commitment to renewable fuels will require safeguards to ensure that fuels do not come from crops which have displaced rainforest and other valuable natural habitats and carbon sinks. We need a robust certification scheme for all biomass and biofuels, based on the EU's certification model before we leap in head first.

"The Government must go beyond the Green Veneer of its past and take action to really address growing environmental concerns about our transport system, without making ill-thought headline grabbing promises."

Notes:

IEUAN WYN JONES, DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR THE ECONOMY AND TRANSPORT MADE HIS STATEMENT ON THE WELSH ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT'S TRANSPORT STRATEGY ON THE 6TH May 2008.