Midlands: Transport policy?

Milkinder Jaspal, is one motorist who's fed up with the state of the roads. Unlike most drivers snarled in the jams he's in a position to do something about it.

We need tunnels, we need flyovers as well as investment in the public transportation system Cllr Milkinder Jaspal, Wolverhampton City Council

He's the Labour City Councillor with responsibility for Transport in Wolverhampton and he thinks the Government's policy of forcing people out of their cars is a mistake.

Unlike most drivers snarled in the jams he can do something about it

But while he advocates giving motorists what they want and building more roads, flyovers and underpasses ... on the other side of the midlands the crackdown on the car continues.

The impact of gridlock particularly on industry is starting to tell while Birmingham's new glittering jewel of consumerism basks in its success other industries are feeling the squeeze.

What is invested in the West Midlands affects the whole of the UK

Chris Clifford of the CBI said, "What government needs to realise is that investment in Birmingham and the West Midlands does have an major impact on the rest of the UK.

"It is vital as part of the transport fabric of the nation, set where it is in the heart of the country so what we invest in Birmingham and the West Midlands affects the whole of the UK."

Tram solution?

In Nottingham, the City Council is going full pelt to cut back on car use by charging a car parking tax levy which will have to be paid by all big businesses in the city.

The idea is it'll cost £150 to have a parking space at work in Notts.

That money will be kept by the council and reinvested in local transport plans.

Most of that will be swallowed up by the £200m cost of the City's new Tram network which opens to the public in the new year.

We have got to have some form of road use pricing not congestion charging Professor John Hibbs

Professor John Hibbs is a Transport Expert at the University of Central England.

He's another opponent of congestion charges, "red routes" and bus lanes.

He believes that the car is the answer not the problem.

Believes that the car is the answer not the problem

Trams are a disaster not have yet make any money and are disruptive to town centres.

Politics Show

Also this week we're at the Liberal Democrats Conference in Brighton.

Is the party which in 1992 had no MP's in the region on the brink of breaking into the Midlands.

The Lib Dems gained first from the Tories' decline.

Nigel Jones in Cheltenham and then Paul Keetch in Hereford got to Westminster after classic Liberal Democrat campaigns.

Like by-elections, they were sustained, high profile, and majored on local issues.

Now the Lib Dems say they're on track to take control of Birmingham City Council, England's biggest local authority, in 2004.

Their claims about becoming Britain's second party would certainly be taken all the more seriously if they did.

But it can be harder for a second ... or a first ... party to be all things to all people.

Have your say

If you have an opinion get in touch by using the form below.

Join presenter Adrian Goldberg for The Politics Show on BBC One on Sunday at the later time of 1.30pm..

---