Council Leader Slams Labour Government Failure to Invest in Public Transport

4.12.37pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 12th Sep 2005

Leader of the Council Cllr Mark Harris (Lib Dem, Moortown) has criticised the Government's record on Public Transport ahead of Wednesday's Full Council meeting, which will discuss the damage to the Leeds economy caused by the Transport Minister's indecision over Supertram.

Cllr Harris said "People in Leeds desperately want a safe, reliable and affordable public transport system. All the evidence clearly shows that Supertram is the best way of providing this in terms of cost effectiveness, reducing congestion, and the regeneration benefits that it will provide for the city. All the main political parties in Leeds agree that Supertram is vital."

"We're now at a stage where if we don't get final approval from the Government very soon then we'll have to abandon the scheme. However, the Transport Minister Alistair Darling seems incapable of giving us a straight yes or no. I suspect that, by just letting the time run out, he hopes to avoid the bad publicity he'll get by admitting the Government has spent the money elsewhere. That's a cowardly way to go about your business, and it's an insult to the intelligence of the people of Leeds."

"Supertram is all the more essential when you look at the issue against a backdrop of the Government's complete failure to deliver reliable and affordable public transport. John Prescott pledged to reduce car traffic back in 1997 - but the Department of Transport's own figures show that it's actually increased by more than 10% since then. In the same period bus fares have increased and services are still unreliable, and even less trains arrive on time now than they did in 1997."

Notes to Editors:

Public transport statistics for 2004/05 are available via

http://ww.dft.gov.uk/pns/DispalyPN.cgi?pn_id=2005_0090

Cllr Harris has tabled a White Paper Motion for Wednesday's Full Meeting of Leeds City Council. The motion states:

'That this Council condemns the Government's decision to make no final decision on the future of Supertram.

Council notes that although representatives of the Council and METRO met with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for State, Derek Twigg MP, on the 26th July no decision has yet been taken by the Department of Transport. Council therefore calls on all those with an interest in ensuring Leeds has an effective transport system for the 21st century to continue lobbying the Government to take a positive decision on Supertram.

The lack of a decision and the uncertainty that this causes is immensely damaging to the Leeds economy and is therefore completely inexcusable.'