"The economy runs on roads"

Mixed Reaction To Roads Announcement

Friends of the Earth said it was very pleased that the Salisbury bypass was being scrapped and also welcomed the postponement of the M25 decision. But FoE added: "Ministers will regret the monumental mistake that are making in giving the go-ahead to the Birmingham Northern Relief Road."

Salisbury's Conservative MP Robert Key - a former Roads Minister - condemned the Salisbury bypass axing as "a purely party-political decision to avoid trouble". He went on: "The Labour Government has been rolled over by unelected, unaccountable pressure groups. This is not a people's decision _ it is against the people of Salisbury. "The medieval heart of this fine Cathedral city is now condemned to gridlock and pollution. Salisbury now faced the real threat of economic decline."

English Nature said scrapping the Salisbury scheme was "particularly welcome" as it would have damaged he wildlife value of the Avon Valley over many miles."

The Salisbury Bypass Action Group expressed "profound relief" that the scheme had been scrapped. It said it had worked for five years "to avert the devastation that the scheme ... would have caused".

The Retail Motor Industry Federation said the announcement was "sending out the wrong message" to commuters and British industry. "The Labour Government has repeatedly spoken of its commitment to an integrated transport policy. Unfortunately this latest announcement doesn't offer any solutions to this most pertinent of transport issues," said the federation's chief executive Christopher Macgowan.

The Freight Transport Association said it hoped the scrapping of schemes would not "herald further massive road cuts" when the full roads review was announced next spring. The FTA said it was "amazed" at the decisions to postpone the M25 widening and to scrap the Salisbury bypass as both would have provided "essential relief from the current extreme road congestion which will inevitably increase over the next 10 years.

The AA described the package of cuts and delays as a bitter blow for the environment and for the economy. "UK drivers are already faced with some of the worst congestion in Europe," said Paul Watters, AA head of roads and transport policy. "Car growth is set to continue and cancelling or deferring much needed schemes without any viable alternative being planned will simply result in more congestion. Funding for roads has been slashed every year since 1993, and the programme is now just a quarter the size it was four years ago. The UK transport system is already in chaos, and these cuts will make the country's congestion problems even worse. "Like it or not, there will be another two million cars on the roads by the year 2000. The economy runs on roads, carrying 90% of goods and people."