Cash for Roads but Air Routes Subsidy is Frozen TRANSPORT

By DOUGLAS FRASER

TRANSPORT budgets suffered several of the sharper cuts in spending over the next three years, with major road building allocated money but cuts in air route subsidy and real-term cuts in buses and concessionary fares.

While road construction gets a boost to pay for the M74 extension and the other Central Scotland motorways, plus the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Road, there was growing doubt about whether the M74 through south-east Glasgow will be built by the 2011 target date.

First Minister Alex Salmond said yesterday that it would be ready by the 2014 Commonwealth Games but did not commit to the current timetable.

While there are improvement schemes on other major trunk roads, there is no provision for projects for which funds were not already committed. On rail, there is funding for existing commitments but it is unlikely that any major new projects can be afforded, apart from the Edinburgh trams.

The Air Route Development Fund, which has helped support the start-up of new direct routes for Scottish airports, is to be ended, retaining only existing contracts.

Ferries are among the winners, with more money being made available to pay for the trial of Road Equivalent Tariffs.

Bus subsidy gets a standstill budget, meaning a real terms cut. The concessionary fares programme is similarly strapped for new cash.

At a glance

*Fears for delays in major transport. Air development fund axed but more money for ferry services.

*2008-9 GBP6bn

*2009- 10 GBP6.2bn

*2010-11 GBP6.3bn (includes other finance funding)

Originally published by Newsquest Media Group.

(c) 2007 Herald, The; Glasgow (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.