The Conservative Party manifesto unveiled on 11 April 2005 has little to say about transport.

Rail campaigner John Bourn reports: "On the roads, there is a vague commitment to 'modernising the road network' and reviewing the use of speed cameras."

Most rail campaigners view speed cameras as a useful way to enforce motoring laws which are often ignored.

On the railways, John reports that the only policy mentioned is a promise to allocate longer rail franchises.

John adds: "There is nothing about freight (rail or road), nothing about rail reopenings, nothing about speed limits, nothing about traffic calming, nothing about buses, nothing about cycling, nothing about walking.

"You get the impression that transport issues will be very, very low on the Tory agenda in the unlikely event of their winning the election."

Some politicians however intend to make public transport an issue. Senior rail manager Joanthan Chatfield is standing as a Liberal Democrat, challenging Conservative Jim Paice for the south-east Cambridgeshire constituency.

He says: "Lorries need to be taken off the the roads in far greater numbers with freight companies given proper incentives to use rail-based alternatives."

Mr Chatfield also opposes the plan for a guided busway on the former Cambridge-St Ives rail line.