Traffic strategy appears to be short of a few wheels

IT STARTED in 2003 with a clear statement of intent.

The main aim of the then road traffic strategy was 'to reduce the level of car usage in the island, in particular by encouraging the use of alternative forms of transport, discouraging unnecessary car travel and promoting more responsible use of the car'.

Paid parking was a key plank, as was improving the bus service.

Reducing car usage became 'freedom of transport choice' in 2006 after an Environment review rebranded it the road transport strategy.

Its main principle was to 'reduce the adverse environmental, economic and social impacts of vehicle use in the island'.

Critics believe this is a watered down commitment – and one that lacks any clear targets or goals.

Now there is a growing feeling among deputies that the department has lost its way with the strategy, firstly rejecting paid parking despite a States resolution and then coming up with proposals, albeit alongside the Financial Transformation Executive, to hike bus fares.

The latter could be the straw that breaks the camel's back – it has united 19 deputies in protest and looks almost certain to lead to a full debate on what is happening.

Environment's response to that letter was to offer a behind-closed-doors meeting with deputies to brief them on plans its believes they do not fully understand.

The closed meeting was announced in an 'open letter to States members and the media' and some deputies spoken to would be happy for the media to be there to gain the fuller understanding promised.

Are States department's already forgetting the commitment to openness reiterated by the Policy Council in June's airport firefighters report, accepted by the States?

It should be no surprise that Deputy Matt Fallaize led the protest – as he has with other matters and with some impact.

The bus fare rise would happen on 1 August – the meeting is planned for 26 July.

'Our letter asked Environment whether it would be willing to not implement its fare increase until it brought the rise to the States and if it doesn't there would be a requete lodged at the end of the month,' said Deputy Fallaize.

'The Environment letter does not take us that much further forward. If Environment is not prepared to bring this to the States, we will submit a requete.

The main issue is not really the narrow point of an increase in bus fares – some people will just say that's 40p on the basic fare – but the direction of the road transport strategy.

'What started life as an integrated, forward-looking strategy has disintegrated during the life of this States – that's what the 19 members' view is.'

Environment needed to reinvigorate the strategy, he said.

'Clearly, the States has to give it policy direction. At the moment the direction is to just let it wither on the vine.'

The basic bus fare would rise from 60p to a £1 under the department's proposal.

When that was announced in June, Environment minister Peter Sirett said the recommendation to restructure the fares was necessary in part to cover the increased costs of running the service, but also to more fairly balance the costs of providing a social bus service between the taxpayer and the bus user.

The proposals would raise around £400,000 towards the operational costs of the bus service, which received £2.24m. last year from the department.

Deputy Fallaize said the department was proposing to cut the public subsidy by 20% but increase the basic bus fare by 67%.

'What does that tell you?' he said.

'It's taking the Road Transport Strategy in the opposite direction than first intended.'

Early last year, funding of the strategy was debated but there was no indication of a rise to come in the bus fare, he said.

'Had it released that information at that time, the States would have been more inclined to mount a comprehensive review of the strategy.'

A requete could be drafted but not submitted until after the meeting for deputies, but a commitment to a debate is needed if it is to be avoided.

Paid parking is certain to form part of the argument.

One of those agitated by the failure to implement it was Deputy Barry Brehaut, who some time ago committed to bringing the issue back to the States with his own requete.

It could be a very different debate with the financial pressures now spelled out. Deputy Brehaut said that for the past few months, the transport strategy had been faltering. 'I've been working on having some paid zones around St Peter Port, the idea being that in some areas you would have to buy a permit to park and in others paid parking, but I'm struggling to make it add up,' he said.

'When Environment came out with the bus changes, I was minded to place a requete to instruct them to come to come back with paid parking.'

Deputy Fallaize drafted the letter in the meantime.

It appears to many the wheels are coming off the transport strategy – the public, it seems, will only get to hear the detail if members force Environment to speak.