The Green Party proposes to abandon the project and to concentrate on the following 3 steps instead:

1.    Pushing the Alpine Crossing Exchange Initiative through quickly.The Initiative seeks to reduce traffic by trading transit rights. The idea is to limit the number of transalpine truck crossings or to define the amount of allowed emissions.

2.    Extending the Mediterranean ports in order to shift goods traffic from land to sea. Austria needs to support Italy in financing the improvements and tolls for heavy goods vehicles need to be raised in Italy.

3.    Raising the petroleum tax in Austria.

However, the coalition government of the Tyrol is determined to carry the Brenner Base Tunnel project through. Josef Geisler, head of the Austrian People’s Party considers the project as essential for the environment and infrastructure. He claims that the Green party’s proposals cannot be taken seriously and that the Alpine Crossing Exchange is not going to work without the tunnel, which is supposed to relieve the roads from traffic.

Source : krone.at, 20.05.2010

http://www.krone.at/Tirol/Schiffe_statt_BBT-Brenner-Tunnel_laut_den_Tiroler_Gruenen_bereits_Geschichte-Story-200830