Transport

	As our population continues to grow, more people than ever are taking to our roads and attempting to use public transportation. Therefore the promotion of efficient and environmentally sound transport is more important than ever.
As oil prices continue to rise steeply and congestion becomes more of an issue than ever, it is essential that we start planning for a cleaner, more cost effective and efficient future. The EU is embarking on considerable interference in our road transport, causing increases in costs and a shortage of commercial drivers. And although we recognise the conflict between road building and environmental issues, we do not believe that the government is justified in compromising road user safety by cutting back on road building and maintenance. Of course in freeing ourselves from the EU, we will solve a great deal of these problems.
Topic Links www.speedcameras.org www.greencars.com
Our Policies 1. Green transport, not green taxation. Travel by road remains the cheapest and most convenient means of transport both for freight and private use at present, but fuel costs are an increasing concern for consumers and for environmental reasons. Therefore we will aim to considerably cut Britain's reliance on oil, by promoting vehicles that use 'green fuels' such as Ethanol and E85, Hydrogen, Biodiesels, Hybrid Engines and Fuel Cells. We will offer incentives in the form of generous subsidies to people and businesses who invest in vehicles which utilise greener fuels. We will also aim to promote growth in this market by introducing wholesale deregulation, making it much easier and more profitable to buy and sell environmentally sound vehicles to end users. In addition to this we will fund government research into more efficient green engines, which will be more suitable to the British market. In accordance with our environmental aims we will not drop current fuel prices, as in doing so we would be contradicting our own policies.
2. No more stealth taxation. Although we agree that some road pricing is necessary to pay for public transport, maintenence, and building new infrastructure, we do not believe speed cameras should be used to generate revenue. Public safety should be the only consideration. We will remove speed cameras positioned purely to make money. Local councils will be instructed to review speed camera sites, and ensure they are necessary for the safety of the community. All school zones and busy pedestrian areas should have them in place.
3. Promoting experience and saving lives. Drivers under 24 kill or seriously injure almost 3,000 people each year -- around 30% of the total deaths and injuries, despite making up only 6% of drivers. Last year 1,200 young drivers under the age of 20 were killed or seriously injured, and male motorists in the 17 to 20 age group are almost ten times more likely to be killed than experienced drivers. We propose a raise in the driving age to 20, with a one-year minimum learning period. Additionally, we will review sentencing for serious motoring offences and introduce credible minimum sentences for offenders.