Light Rail Transit Association   URBAN TRANSIT NEWS 2004

Blackpool rejection: Following on from the decision not to fund the tramway plans for Manchester Leeds and South Hants, the decision to reject the tramway upgrade and expansion plans for Blackpool has come as a huge disappointment. A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesman is reported as saying that the upgrade did not provide sufficient value for money and that there were other priorities.

Roy Fisher, leader of Blackpool Borough Council, said "The council will not and cannot give up because without major investment Blackpool may have no trams running in 10 years time,".

Cynics will see this as further proof that the government, despite the positive words in the White Paper, still mistakenly believes that its transport problems can be solved on the cheap by improvement to bus services alone.
27 July 2004