AN attack on the Government's transport plans was launched by Retail Motor Industry Federation president John Coward at the organisation's annual dinner in London. Coward claimed that Government proposals to introduce new cash-raising schemes such as motorway and city centre tolls and workplace parking charges and 'similar ideas germinating in the fertile minds of civil servants' would have no visible benefit in reducing car use.

Even if such schemes were introduced Coward claimed: 'People will still have to get to work and they will have to drive if there is no decent, affordable public transport.' As a result, he said: 'The Government will simply have established yet more means of removing our money, means which will do nothing for transport in this country.'

Coward said he was not part of an industry which was intent on causing environmental harm or destruction and added: 'Environmentalists have set the agenda here and seek to wrap us in a cloak of guilt. But the car is cleaner now than five years ago; infinitely cleaner than 20 years ago and, as technology advances, getting better all the time. Ultimately the consumer makes the choice and so far it seems that the car - not public transport - is the winner.'