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Respect policies Transport
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All materials published and promoted by L Smith, PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU
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New Labour has failed to act over the growing transport crisis. Safety, reliability, affordability and environmental impact have been sacrificed on the altar of private profit. Roads have become even more congested whilst real investment in public transport has failed to materialise.
The privateers running our bus and rail services have made super-profits at public expense, with higher fares and public subsidies. Air travel is given privileged status and massive tax breaks, despite it being the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases. Labour’s pre-1997 commitment to renationalise the railways remains abandoned, with the safety of passengers jeopardised.
Respect calls for a comprehensive alternative to our current transport system. All public transport should be publicly owned and run as a service, not for profit.
We need a fully integrated public transport system – including rail, tube, bus and urban light rail services – that can provide a good reliable service without risking our safety or destroying the environment in the process.
Public transport must be a cheaper option to car use if it is to provide a real alternative. We want to see freight taken off the roads and returned to rail where it’s transportation would be safer and cleaner. This requires a major increase in investment in rail freight facilities, which would allow current trunk road building
plans to be cut.
All public transport should be designed and adapted for disabled access. We must ensure that rural areas are well served by public transport.
We need a pollution-free alternative to car transport, yet walking and cycling routes remain marginal to transport policy.
Urban planning should be based on the needs of people not just on traffic considerations. Remarkably, 80 percent of all car journeys are less than three miles. We need to see school transport provision extended to cut the use of cars on the school run, with safe walking and cycling routes to school. Congestion charging has a role to play providing it reflects the ability to pay and is linked to viable public transport alternatives.
RESPECT CALLS FOR:
> The re-nationalisation of the railways.
> An integrated, publicly owned, rail, bus, and urban light rail service.
> Investment in a cheap and integrated transport system to reduce the need to use cars, making the current road building programme unnecessary.
> New road building only with the agreement of the communities affected.
> More frequent passenger journeys and better staffing of stations, trains and buses (guards and conductors) to encourage people back onto public transport.
> A full programme of cycle routes in our towns and cities.
> Higher taxes on company cars and on company parking spaces.
> A halt to airport and runway expansion and an end to the £9 billion tax-break to the airlines.
> Bring air traffic control back into public ownership.
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