Metro chief steps up campaign to save Leeds trolleybus funding

Transport chiefs have stepped up the pressure on government to deliver three major public transport schemes currently on hold in Leeds - including the £250 million trolleybus network . Metro chairman Chris Greaves has welcomed comments by Nick Clegg , in which the Deputy Prime Minister stressed the importance of the government taking a long-term approach on the economy. Greaves said: "I am pleased to hear that Mr Clegg is taking this view and hope to see him and his colleagues delivering on this thinking by giving the go-ahead to major local transport projects, currently on hold, which research has shown would deliver significant long-term benefits for the local economy. "Schemes such as the NGT Leeds trolleybus network, the new southern entrance to Leeds Station, new railways stations at Kirkstall Forge and Apperley Bridge which already have £4m of private sector backing, would all help the Leeds City Region grow its way out of the current recession and help ensure its future prosperity. "These schemes are in line with the Coalition's commitment to rebalance and grow the economy through private sector-led economic growth and they have a strong fit with the government's policies of promoting sustainable travel, improving air quality and accessibility, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions." Underpinning economic growth Greaves said that the CBI and the British Chambers of Commerce have both called upon the government to maintain investment in transport projects because they are essential in underpinning economic growth. He added: "We fully appreciate the government's need to review spending but we maintain that for this region to meet its full potential the long legacy of transport underspending by successive governments needs to end, and that these projects, which all meet the Department for Transport's strict criteria, are given the go ahead. "Mr Clegg states that 'a politician thinks of the next election' while 'a statesman thinks of the next generation'. Let's hope for West Yorkshire's and the Leeds City Region's sakes, Mr Clegg and his colleagues prove to be statesmen." Chamber consultation, online petition and Kirkstall Forge campaign The Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce members recently launched an online consultation to highlight the transport issues facing Leeds' businesses and help secure funding for the NGT Trolley System and Southern Entrance to the Train Station, which have been put on hold pending the Government's Spending Review. An online petition set uo by Leeds residents to save the trolleybus is aiming for 1,000 signatures and can be signed here . And Leeds West Labour MP Rachel Reeves has launched a petition to save the Kirkstall Forge Station project from being axed. What do you think? Have your say in the comments section below.