Transport

Air traffic in the UK has trebled over the past 20 years and is continuing to rise. Car use has increased dramatically, with 16% more traffic on the roads in 2004 than a decade earlier. Both driving and flying offer many people benefits, but both have damaging environmental effects. New roads and new runways scar the landscape, while speeding traffic and roaring aircraft erode tranquillity for hundreds of thousands of people who live near major roads or under flight paths.

We want to see road and air traffic levels contained. We think it can be done if

• People are given high quality alternatives to private cars and flying;
• Economic measures are used to manage demand for flying and driving;
• The Government directs money to smaller-scale transport packages (such as bus and cycle priority schemes, traffic calming, car clubs and travel planning like Smarter Choices) rather than large-scale road-building
• Jobs, shops and services are provided locally so that people don't need to drive to reach them.

With transport the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions, we argue against a presumption in favour of road-building and aviation expansion.