Roadblock - press release

TRAM HYPOCRISY WHILST ROADS COST ESCALATE

Road Block reacted with anger today at announcements that two tram schemes have been dropped on cost grounds, as roads costs go through the roof.

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Today the government announced that tram schemes in Hampshire and Liverpool would not receive funding [1] due to 26% and 40% increases in cost, respectively. However, the alliance against road building, Road Block pointed out the hypocrisy of this as the government has allowed the costs of its bloated roads programme to spiral out of control. [2]

The tram decisions were made as Alistair Darling said that the government could not support tram schemes "at any cost". However, new research by Road Block shows that trunk road schemes are averaging a 53% increase in cost since first approved, whilst local authority road schemes are averaging 40% increases. According to figures released by the government, trunk road schemes approved since April 2003, do not appear to have been recently assessed, and Road Block believes the cost escalation figure could actually be much higher [3].

In correspondence with the Department of Transport, Road Block has confirmed that only one local authority road scheme has had its approval removed due to cost escalation - the Connecting Derby scheme.

Rebecca Lush of Road Block said:

"The hypocrisy of the government on transport is breathtaking. Whilst withdrawing money for vital public transport schemes, they are allowing the cost of the bloated roads programme to rise and rise. Of course public transport schemes should not be delivered whatever the cost, but this same logic is not being applied to road schemes. We demand a cull of the roads programme!"

Notes to Editors:

[1] Links to announcement on Hampshire and Liverpool tram schemes are below. The South Hampshire Rapid Transit scheme has risen 26% since approval, whilst the Merseytram scheme has risen 40%. See Government News Network website (page 1, page 2) for more ifnormation.

[2] Parliamentary Questions by Colin Challen MP on 14 July 2005 revealed the costs of road schemes. The tables for trunk roads are here and the tables for local authority roads are here. Up to April 2003, trunk road schemes have seen an average of 53% increase, whilst local authority road schemes have seen an average 40% increase.

[3] The tables show that since the introduction of the Treasury's Green Book guidance which introduced 'optimism bias' for road schemes, it does not appear that trunk road schemes have been assessed. Road Block believes the costs of road schemes approved since April 2003 could be much higher.

[4] CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) have also conducted similar research on cost escalation of the roads programme.
See http://www.cpre.org.uk/news-releases/news-rel-2005/47-05.htm