Currently reading: Why vote Labour?
We analyse Labour's transport policy; transport minister's election pledge to the motorist

What has Labour done in the past?

New Labour arrived in 1997 promising a permanent shift away from driving to public transport.

- Within days of coming to office it halted nearly all new road building in the UK.

- It brought in legislation to allow local government to introduce congestion charging and workplace parking charges, and encouraged schemes to cut urban road space for motorists.

- Labour famously turned a major section of the M4 in to London into a bus lane.

- It also pushed national road charging, which attracted millions of email dissenters on the Downing Street website.

- Speed cameras and fines increased hugely.

- Fuel tax was increased, accounting for as much as 81.5 per cent of the cost of a litre in 2000.

- Plans for urban road tolls were badly holed by the rejection at the ballot box of congestion charging schemes in Edinburgh and Greater Manchester.

Statement from transport minister Lord Adonis

“Tackling road congestion is a key priority and we will increase the safe use of motorway hard shoulders as an extra running lane, alongside targeted motorway widening, including the M25. For disruptive local roadworks we will increase tenfold the penalties on utility companies who allow work to overrun.

“Labour is also working to make motoring greener. We have established a £400 million fund to put Britain at the forefront of a green motoring revolution. Our manifesto pledged to ensure there are 100,000 electric vehicle charging points by the end of the next Parliament and pioneering motorists will receive up to £5000 to buy an ultra-low- carbon car from January.

“The Labour government recently announced an additional £100 million pothole fund to repair local roads. And to help hard-working families who rely on cars, we are staging the fuel duty increase for 2010.

“Labour has also ruled out the introduction of national road pricing in the next Parliament.”

Click here to read the Conservative's track record on transport, plus a statement from its transport spokespersonClick here to read the Liberal Democrats' track record on transport, plus a statement from its transport spokesperson

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fast ed 4 May 2010

Re: Why vote Labour?

Autocar wrote:
New Labour arrived in 1997 promising a permanent shift away from driving to public transport.

- Within days of coming to office it halted nearly all new road building in the UK.

- It brought in legislation to allow local government to introduce congestion charging and workplace parking charges, and encouraged schemes to cut urban road space for motorists.

labour who did the above, and complain about congestion that they have caused, then have the cheek to charge us for their own cockups.

Can we as a country and individuals afford to have them in power for another 5yrs.

No way. The UK's credit card is already past its limit, and they want to raise its limit again.

God forbid they get in again. I'm going to start praying for the 1st time in 42yrs.

Symanski 4 May 2010

Re: Why vote Labour?

Autocar wrote:
A Labour government would continue to support motorists while maintaining high standards of road safety and reducing the environmental impact of cars

Reads as more taxes and more $peed cameras. That's all they've done in the past, that's all they'll do in the future.