15 Most Recent Stories From Liberal Democrats : Transport News Feed

Fri 5th Sep 2008:

40% of personal injury accidents on some roads caused by lorries - Baker.

Road collisions with lorries caused nearly 40% of personal injury accidents on some of England’s roads over the past five years, the Liberal Democrats have uncovered. The figures, revealed in Parliamentary answers to Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker, identify some of the most dangerous roads in England for collisions with heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). They show that: Nearly 40% of personal injury accidents over five years on the M20 involved collision with lorries, along with 35% of the accidents on the M6, M25 and A14 In 2006, 356 people were injured in accidents with lorries on the M1 and 397 on the M25 Commenting, Norman Baker said: "Some of our busiest roads are becoming lorry accident blackspots. Many of these are accidents that could have been avoided. "Our road network is clearly not capable of dealing with the large volume of freight it presently carries. Ensuring that much more freight travels by rail would make our roads safer for everyone. "Yet, instead of tackling the need for rail freight, the Government continues to plough money into road expansion while the railways are starved of investment."

Thu 28th Aug 2008:

Walking becoming a minority pursuit - Baker.

Commenting on DfT statistics that show car ownership is increasing while fewer people are walking long distances, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "With services being taken away from villages and town centres and local public transport often poor and unreliable, the car is becoming a necessity rather than a choice in many rural areas. "Unless our streets and town centres are designed for the needs of pedestrians and cyclists, rather than motorists, walking to the shops, work or school may become a minority pursuit. "Ministers need to discourage those car journeys where there is a viable alternative, while not penalising those with no other option. "This is why the Liberal Democrats have advocated investing in public transport and introducing revenue neutral motorway and trunk road pricing. This will save rural drivers money but cost more for people who drive on long inter-city routes where there is a decent rail alternative."

Network rail cost-cutting turning journeys into marathons - Baker.

Commenting on today’s Office of Rail Regulation report, which calls for Network Rail to dramatically reduce disruption for passengers, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "This damning report shows that Network Rail’s attempts at cost-cutting have turned a fifth of all weekend journeys into a marathon of cancelled trains, delays and rail replacement buses for many passengers. "Whatever happened to the 24-hour railway promised by ministers? Network Rail must get its priorities straight and ensure that, where possible, routes are kept open while repairs and improvements are being made. "If people are to be persuaded out of their cars and onto the railways, Network Rail must put passengers first."

Wed 20th Aug 2008:

BAA should be forced to sell two London airports - Leech.

Commenting ahead of tomorrow’s Competition Commission preliminary report, which is expected to recommend a break-up of BAA’s near monopoly on London airports, Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson, John Leech said: "Passengers who experienced the Terminal 5 chaos will understand why Heathrow has been called a ‘national embarrassment’. "The Competition Commission has an opportunity to end this near monopoly and create a better experience for passengers. "BAA should be forced to sell two of its London airports. Passenger interests are too often being pushed aside for profits and high retail rents. The current situation is helping no-one."

Mon 11th Aug 2008:

Network Rail must be more accountable - Hunter.

Commenting on today’s Office of Rail Regulation report, which recommends that big bonuses for Network Rail bosses be curbed, Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesman, Mark Hunter said: "After the chaos over the New Year, many passengers were shocked to hear about the obscene bonuses awarded to Network Rail bosses. "If passengers are going to have any confidence in the railways, Network Rail needs to become more accountable and decisions on bonuses must not be taken by its own board."

Fri 1st Aug 2008:

Air fare price rise inevitable - Baker.

Commenting on today’s warning from British Airways that air fares will have to rise, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "It is inevitable that air fares are going to increase. There are too many airlines, chasing too few passengers, at a time of rising oil prices and increasing environmental concerns. "In the last ten years, the average cost of a one-way ticket for an internal flight within the UK has fallen from £205 to £103. "It is unavoidable that this process will now be reversed."

Absurd that rail fares continue to rise - Baker.

Commenting on figures released by the Office of Rail Regulation, which show that rail fares have rocketed in price since the mid-1990s, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "It is absurd that rail fares continue to rise well above inflation. "Rail is the greenest form of mass transportation and the Government should be taking steps to make it more attractive. "At the moment it seems that the more carbon you emit, the cheaper it is to travel."

Fine airlines for long check-in queues - Baker.

Airlines that have long queues at check-ins should be fined, the Liberal Democrats today proposed. The measure is one of the proposals set out by the party in order to give air passengers a fairer deal and ensure that aviation pays its environmental cost. Other proposals in Fair for the Passenger, Fair for the Environment: A Down to Earth Approach to Aviation include: Information on carbon emissions to be printed on every air ticket Ruling out any expansion in airport capacity in London and the South East Ensuring that BAA sells two of its London airports Building a high speed rail network to reduce domestic flights Introducing a surcharge to Aviation Duty for domestic flights to fund high speed rail Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "Both the passenger and the environment have lost out under the Government’s failed aviation strategy. "By refusing to support a high speed rail network the Government has failed to give travellers a real alternative to domestic flights. At the same time hidden airline subsidies are allowing carbon emissions to skyrocket as operating costs remain comparatively low. "Even now, ministers would rather push ahead with an ill-conceived proposal to expand Heathrow than plan for high speed rail. "Airlines and airport operators must be shown that they can’t have it all their own way and travellers must be given a fairer deal and clearer options. "Our proposals are fair for the passenger and fair for the environment." ENDS

Thu 24th Jul 2008:

Road statistics reveal catalogue of failures - Baker.

Commenting on today’s DfT annual road statistics, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "Eleven years of a Labour Government has led to a comprehensive catalogue of road policy failures. "Despite John Prescott’s claim in 1997 that a Labour Government would cut the number of cars on the roads, it has now given up on reducing traffic and has resorted to discredited 1980s road-building policies. "Just last year Ruth Kelly announced yet another £6bn to widen motorways. This is an abdication of responsibility."

Road statistics reveal catalogue of failures - Baker.

Commenting on today’s DfT annual road statistics, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "Eleven years of a Labour Government has led to a comprehensive catalogue of road policy failures. "Despite John Prescott’s claim in 1997 that a Labour Government would cut the number of cars on the roads, it has now given up on reducing traffic and has resorted to discredited 1980s road-building policies. "Just last year Ruth Kelly announced yet another £6bn to widen motorways. This is an abdication of responsibility."

Tue 22nd Jul 2008:

Brown's support for electric cars yet more greenwash - Baker.

Commenting on Gordon Brown’s support for electric-powered cars, which he announced today at the British International Motor Show, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "This is yet more greenwash from Gordon Brown. Once again, he’s talking green but only last week the Government announced a further £6bn expenditure on widening roads at a time when traffic levels and carbon emissions continue to rise. "The Government’s bungled changes to Vehicle Excise Duty have given green taxes a bad name. "We have all had enough green hyperbole from the Prime Minister. It’s now time for some green action."

Mon 21st Jul 2008:

Police in too many fatal accidents - Baker.

Commenting on the IPCC’s annual report, which revealed that 23 people were killed in collisions involving police vehicles last year, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "The IPCC is right to be concerned. Police vehicles are involved in too many fatal accidents, but it is not just a problem for the police. "We need a thorough review of procedures for all emergency vehicles to ensure that other road users are not put in danger."

Government freight policy is non-existent - Baker.

Commenting on today’s Transport Select Committee report, which criticises the Government’s ‘hands-off’ approach to freight strategy, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "The Government’s freight policy is more than hands-off, it’s non-existent. "Scrapping lorry road user charging plans and failing to invest sufficiently in rail and water freight has condemned us to rising emissions and lorry jams on many of our major roads. "Sensible investment in rail freight would save hundreds of millions of pounds in road widening schemes. "Yet again, this Government is content to throw good money after bad in the pursuit of road building rather than considering more effective and environmentally sustainable methods of transporting goods."

Government failure condemns rail passengers to misery and overcrowding - Baker.

Commenting on today’s Transport Select Committee report, which criticises the Government for having ‘dodged the decision on high speed rail’, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "The Government’s abject failure to plan for a high speed rail network has condemned passengers to years more misery and overcrowding. "Delays, slow trains, endless replacement bus services and out-dated working practices have created cattle-truck Britain while other countries have created modern, efficient railways. "Travellers should be encouraged to choose public transport, but they are being given little reason to ditch their polluting cars. "Momentum is clearly gathering for a high speed rail network but yet again the Government is being left behind on the platform."

Wed 16th Jul 2008:

Ghost flights are disgraceful - Baker.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker today challenged Gordon Brown to take action against airlines that run so-called ‘ghost flights’, in which they fly short-haul trips with near-empty aircraft in order to preserve their take-off and landing slots. Norman Baker said: "It is disgraceful that these environmentally damaging ghost flights are taking place. "I welcome Gordon Brown’s admission that these flights are unacceptable and his promise to look into the problem. "However, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. Will he take action or will he continue to cave in to the aviation industry?"

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