'Sensible transport' campaign launched

The Campaign for Sensible Transport (CaST), formed to oppose the Government's motorway programme, was launched in Dublin yesterday.

It is calling for the setting up of a transport authority to which the National Roads Authority would be responsible.

Under the CaST plan, the NRA would have to compete with public transport providers for funding which would be administered by the new transport authority.

Describing plans to invest about £1 billion (€1.27 billion) in Iarnr≤d ╔ireann and almost £4.4 billion (€5.29 billion) on roads as "iniquitous and unsustainable", a spokesman, Mr Gary Fitzgerald, said the inter-city element of rail funding would amount to just £500 million (€635 million).

CaST's main policies are:

A demand for an integrated transport policy taking environmental and social concerns into account;

The creation of a National Transport Authority with responsibility for the development and implementation of the integrated transport policy. It would be accountable to the Oireachtas and subject to EU policy;

An immediate suspension of any road projects not required by the 1998 NRA Road Needs Study;

The replacement of the NRA board;

The abolition of tolls and proposed tolls;

An information campaign to ensure the public is aware of all major road building projects and of the environmental, social and economic consequences;

The availability on demand of information on all road projects.