Nichola Harrison

All of Cambridge’s Liberal Democrat councillors have expressed fierce opposition to the decision of the Conservative-run County Council to hand a powerful role in deciding Cambridge’s long term transport future to business organisations and special interest groups. The bus company Stagecoach, Marshalls Aerospace, the Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses, Addenbrookes hospital and Cambridge University (but apparently not Anglia Ruskin!) have been invited to form a Transport Commission to advise the Council what to do about the congestion charge/transport investment scheme currently under consideration for the city.

The Liberal Democrat objection to this Commission is a concern for democratic accountability. With elected councillors in the minority on the Commission, the voting majority will comprise people who are accountable to shareholders and Boards of Directors rather than the general public. In Nichola’s view: “Elected councillors should take responsibility for these decisions because they do not have vested commercial interests and they are accountable to the general public. We want to work with the Conservatives to design a scheme which is fair as well as effective.”

Cambridge’s Lib Dems believe that major investment in sustainable transport coupled with a congestion charge is the right long term transport strategy for Cambridge. All the finance must be spent on providing better public transport services and opportunities for cycling and walking and the improvements must be in place before the charge is introduced. The Council has already bowed to pressure from Lib Dem councillors in acknowledging that there must be a substantial resident’s discount.

A public consultation was carried out ealrier this year and the results indicated that across the county 59% of people would support a congestion charge provided attractive alternatives to the car are in place and income from the charge is spent on improving public transport.