Howard pledges support for motorists
Conservative Party leader Michael Howard unveiled a series of election policies during a speech at an AA awards ceremony last night.
Mr Howard pledged to become the “motorist’s friend” in Westminster and claimed that he wanted to make motorists “feel like customers, not like victims”.
Mr Howard announced that, if elected, his party would end the use of speed cameras “just to raise money”, declaring, “If a camera is not contributing to road safety, it will be taken down.”
Accusing the Labour government of failing to deliver on transport, the Tory leader said: “There is no point being anti-car. We should all be pro-travel. A properly balanced transport policy would support every kind of transport so that people can get about in the way that suits them best.”
Mr Howard outlined three key principles of his party’s transport policy – giving the public a choice in the mode of transport they use, long-term investment policies, and private sector involvement.
“Despite the importance of our railways and buses, politicians have to recognise the fact that most of our journeys – almost 90 per cent – are made by car,” he said.
However, both the government and environmental groups have lashed out at the Conservative leader’s speech, accusing him of ignoring road safety and pollution issues.
Transport secretary Alistair Darling said: “It is regrettable that senior politicians continue to repeat the nonsense that speed cameras are a stealth tax.
“Speed cameras are there for one reason and one reason only – to slow people down and reduce deaths and serious injuries.”
Friends of the Earth argued that the Tory policy would “turn the clock back a decade”.
Earlier this month the Tories called for the speed limit on motorways to be raised to 80mph.
