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Wednesday, July 16, 2008

The green agenda

Just how green is the One Wales Government? It is a question worth asking in the light of their intention to run an extension of the M4 through five SSSIs and proposals to dual the A40 amongst many others.

Today's Western Mail throws further doubts on the green credentials of the Labour-Plaid Administration by reporting that at the same time as these very expensive road schemes are being mooted bus services are to be cut back as a result of the lack of Government support.

They tell us that the recent grant of £10.8m for local transport services, and the further £19.5m for the Bus Services Operators Grant and the Bus Revenue Grant have not kept pace with inflation and thus amount to a real term cut on last year. In addition the Labour-Plaid Assembly Government has effectively levelled a tax on bus travel by refusing to refund last year’s 2p-a-litre rise in fuel duty, which has been granted to English bus companies.

Although free bus travel for pensioners, introduced by the previous Labour-Liberal Democrat Administration, is a valuable boost it is no good if bus services are not available for older people to use. The actions of the present coalition makes it less likely that people will leave their car at home and catch the bus.
Comments:
the Bus Services Operators Grant and the Bus Revenue Grant have not kept pace with inflation
Meanwhile, the rise in the price of petroleum automatically increases the government's VAT take on petrol and DRV, and also North Sea oil revenues.
 
"Just how green is the One Wales Government?"

Well - look at the number of cars in parking lots at Cardiff Council offices near the bay and near a perfectly good railway station!

OK, CC is not part of the WAG, but if its staff are not using public transport when a perfectly good railway station is located nearby - what r we to think?
 
cheaper to use the car than travel by bus or train. The tickets are quite high. compared to other parts of the world.
 
It is time that all local authorities charge their staff a "market rate" to park at or near to council offices. Not just Cardiff, but the Vale council too subsidize car use through free parking... If these people are to be our civic "leaders", then they have to set the example. It's a shame that they have built such poor transport links to places like the bay, and squandered so much money on roads - the M4 widening being the most foolish of all... Lorries to keep left, and get as much freight and as many people as possible onto alternatives like the non-existent railway...

Living in exile, the railway station "at" Cardiff Wales International Airport raises many laughs around the world as an example of utter incompetence.
 
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