Dundee Liberal Democrats applaud policies to create a zero carbon transport system by 2050
August 4, 2007 10:51 AM
Dundee Liberal Democrats today (Saturday 4th August) welcome new LibDem policies to create a zero carbon transport system by 2050.
The paper, 'Towards Carbon Free Transport', forms part of wider climate change proposals which will be debated at the party's UK Autumn conference. Proposals include:
• Introducing a distance charge on road freight, related to weight and emissions, as an incentive to shift freight to rail, raising at least £600m a year
• Establishing a new 'Future Transport Fund' to fund a programme of investment on our railways; removing bottlenecks, providing more trains and reopening lines
• Backing new North-South and East-West high-speed rail lines to the best European standards to replace internal flights
• Toughening new legal limits on the average emissions of new cars sold in the EU, to be reinforced with a steadily declining total that reaches zero by 2040
• Introducing a new 'Climate Change Charge' on internal flights, except life-line routes, starting at £10 per ticket to help fund the 'Future Transport Fund,' which will generate at least £150m a year
Commenting on the specific proposal for a "Future Transport Fund", Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP, said, "The fund would be used for high-speed rail links connecting London with Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Tyneside and Scotland."
Locally, here in Dundee, Liberal Democrat Councillor Helen Dick said, "Action across the UK is necessary to to ensure Britain as a whole has a zero carbon transport system by 2050. However, the Scottish Executive also has a key role to introduce carbon offsetting in respect of transport infrastructure projects across Scotland."
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