Scriven sells out on transport

Sheffield Councillor and Parliamentary Candidate for Sheffield Central, Paul Scriven, yesterday proved that he is simply not capable of making difficult decisions in the interests of our city and its people. In a guarantee to the Federation of Small Businesses he promised that congestion charges will not come to Sheffield.  In a breathtaking show of indecision and weakness, the man whose personal website proclaims that he is

‘working to ensure that the environment is protected and working for Green taxes so that those who pollute more pay more.’

ruled out any chance of such a move, despite the clear overcrowding of Sheffield’s roads during busy periods and the increasingly important issue of emissions from single-occupancy vehicles. Nobody wants to see ordinary motorists penalised, which is why Sheffield Labour party continue to work towards a coherent and feasible blueprint to develop Sheffield’s public transport system further and why we have been instrumental in developing schemes to promote car sharing and affordable day-to-day hire, as well as placing focus on better facilities for our cyclists. In 2007, Sheffield received beacon status for the quality of its air, a trend which Paul Scriven seems determined to reverse, placing the fortunes of business owners before the lungs of our citizens. We all agree that small businesses are an important part of our local economy, but our focus is upon including them in our vision for a brighter tomorrow, not sliding around indecisively, or surrendering to those who wish to damage our mission to bring Sheffield to the very forefront of our environmental policy.