Transport

Aviation
Congestion Charge

Aviation Expansion Consultation
Proposals to build new airport runways have been unveiled by the government.  They include extra runways at Stansted and Heathrow airports near London.  A new airport was threatened to be built near the River Thames at Cliffe in North Kent.  A new runway at Gatwick airport was another idea on the table but any changes there are likely to be delayed until 2019 when a non-expansion agreement runs out.

In the view of the Green Party these plans are without justification or merit.

· The Government’s airport expansion plans will cost the tax payer billions in hidden subsidies, tax breaks and the costs of health and environmental clean up.

· Building new runways across London and the South East will do nothing to narrow the growing gap between supply and demand for air travel, which is kept artificially high through massive public subsidies. 

· In the UK we currently prop up the aviation industry by some £6.8 billion a year despite the negative impact on our health and environment.

· The government admits that the introduction of a 100% aviation fuel tax would reduce demand by 10%. 

· By attempting to meet demand without removing these distortions the government is setting us on an unsustainable path, leading to a situation where the costs of declining health, environmental degradation and climate change are increasingly borne by the taxpayer.

Green MEPs Jean Lambert and Caroline Lucas are doing whatever they can to stop the expansion:

· At a European level they are writing to the Commission for clarification on whether the EU would contribute any funding for the expansion and, if so, how can this be justified.

· Nationally both Jean and Caroline are responding to the Department for Transports consultation on the future development of Air Transport in the South East of England condemning any expansion to the current flight scheduling.
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Congestion Charge
In February 2003, the Congestion Charge scheme was introduced in London. At first the scheme required drivers to pay £5 per day if they wished to continue driving in central London during the scheme‘s hours of operation. This has now been increased to £8 per day. In February 2007 the Congestion Charging Zone was extended further to include areas in the West of London.

Jean, and the Green Party, are in favour of the principle of congestion charging in London and see the creation of a central London cordon as the first stage of a London wide scheme. However, the Congestion Charge must be combined with a strong focus upon traffic reduction, rather than just congestion.

Jean believes that the scheme should be seen as part of a rolling strategy of implementing a London wide zonal scheme, with the aim of improving air quality; reducing greenhouse emissions and noise; providing funds for further transport initiatives; reallocating road space to non car modes; and making roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Back to top