Think again on road building freeze, Logistics UK urges Welsh government

Logistics UK said the Welsh government must reverse its decision to freeze all road building projects while it reviews the impact on the climate emergency, describing it as “a step back”.

Earlier this week, the country’s deputy minister for climate change said it would not reach its statutory target of Net Zero emissions by 2050 if it continued to encourage more people to drive.

As a result, the government announced that it would pivot away from building new roads and look at maintaining the existing network instead.

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• Climate emergency prompts Wales to review road building projects

But Logistics UK said it was vital the Welsh government recognised the importance of effective networks to logistics and it needed to provide support as Wales recovered from the pandemic.

Chris Yarsley, Logistics UK policy manager, said: “Logistics UK supports extra funding for public transport schemes, as outlined in the findings of the South East Wales Transport Commission: private road users should be encouraged to switch to public transport options, where possible, to reduce traffic, emissions and free up existing infrastructure for other road users.

“However, this should not come at the expense of new road infrastructure.

“We are urging the Welsh government to reverse its decision to freeze road building spending, to ensure that Welsh businesses and industry can continue to trade effectively and keep consumers supplied with the goods and services they need,” he added.