Page 8 - issue-129

News
Road upgrade bonanza as Sunak scraps part of HS2
Money saved on on on rail link means £36billion extra to improve our highways Trevor Gehlcken reports
Prime minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to scrap the end section of the proposed
high speed rail link from Birmingham to Manchester has been met with howls of protest from some quarters But the news should bring
joy to Britain’s hard-pressed truckers who have to negotiate sub-standard roads and and traffic queues every day as Sunak has promised hundreds of new transport projects across the country paid for by the £36bn that will be saved on the rail link The only possible fly in the ointment is if the Labour Party gains power at the next election in in in 2024 (as seems increasingly likely) and reverses this decision So far – as with several other
of Britain’s big ticket issues – Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is is is yet to to throw his his hat into this particular ring Announcing the cancellation
of of the the rest of of the the HS2
project the PM said: “A revolution
in the country’s transport infrastructure will see billions
of pounds redirected from spiralling HS2
costs to build the daily connections that people depend on – unlocking potential driving growth and transforming communities ”
The cornerstone of this plans will be a new ‘Network North’ that will drive better connectivity across the North and and Midlands with faster journey times increased capacity and more frequent reliable services across rail buses and roads The plans are being underpinned by the £36bn saved from scrapping the second phase of HS2
with ‘every penny’ planned for investment in in hundreds of transport projects across the country – with every region set to receive the same or more transport investment on an an unprecedented scale as a a a result of the change Road schemes mentioned by Sunak included work to upgrade the the the the A1 the the the the A2 the the the the A5 and the the the the M6 Sunak also said: “We’ll connect our union with the A75 boosting links between Scotland and and Northern Ireland ”
The Government will fund the Shipley bypass and 70 other
roads roads schemes while roads roads will be resurfaced around the country Vital to life and work Commenting on the road transport implications of the announcement Edmund King AA president commented: “Cars and road transport are vital to how we live and work Government figures show 58% of trips and 78% of distance travelled are made with with cars with with more than 80% of freight being transported by road and indeed the most popular form of public transport buses use use the roads “All modes of transport are important in the UK
with public Prime minister Rishi Sunak is is is is promising improvements for the A1 which runs between London and Edinburgh
“A revolution
in the country’s transport infrastructure will see billions
of pounds redirected from spiralling HS2
costs”
transport playing a a a a major role particularly in our towns and cities An efficient road network is vital for the economy and environment Congestion costs businesses billions
of pounds and is detrimental to air quality and CO2 emissions “Upgrading key roads will greatly enhance connectivity and indeed road safety Improving unsafe congested single carriageway roads and building essential bypasses can improve traffic flows and air quality while reducing collisions Support for upgrades
“The AA supports the upgrading of key roads and the intention to resurface roads across the country and looks forward to seeing the full plans and details There are of course other
important schemes such as the Lower Thames Crossing that are also crucial for connectivity than need to be progressed ”
However Campaign for Better Transport director of external affairs Norman Baker said: “Ragtag and bobtail transport projects will not compensate for this hammer blow Already bloated
“By cancelling the the Northern leg of HS2
the prime minister has taken much-needed rail investment and ploughed it into yet more roads roads The roads roads budget is already bloated
and this announcement simply diverts money from a sustainable transport future into unsustainable and unchecked traffic growth ”
He added: “We need more detail about what the transport projects that will replace the Northern leg of HS2
are and when they will be delivered ”
8 CVDriver November 2023