§ Mr. Peter Bottomleyasked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement about the progress of the study of the options for public transport in Docklands.
§ Mr. FowlerI have today placed in the Library of the House, a report on public transport options in Docklands. This has been compiled by officers of the Greater London Council, the Department of Transport, the Department of the Environment, the Docklands development organisation and London Transport. The report describes five lower cost alternatives to the full Jubilee Line, including two routes for express bus services, a street tramway system, an automated light rail transit system and a reduced version of the Jubilee Line proposal. The estimated capital costs range from about £15 million to £200 million.
When I expressed my commitment to getting the right transport links for Docklands in June last year, I agreed with Sir Horace Cutler that there should be a pause while the possibilities of lower cost options for public transport investment were examined. The results of that work are set out in the report. I believe that it takes our understanding of the real costs and opportunities there a valuable stage further.
The next stages of work now in hand will include detailed studies of engineering feasibility, costs and of environmental and development impact to provide a firm basis for decisions. The aim, which I share with Sir Horace Cutler, will be to make a choice that will be both operationally feasible and realistically related to the overall availability of resources. It 111W will form part of a total investment package of road and public transport improvements for Docklands to be announced in the summer.