Transport Select Committee bus report

[Walton 46]

Transport Select Committee bus report
The House of Common's Transport Select Committee has recently been conducting an inquiry into the health of the bus market in the UK outside of London and has published a report containing it's findings and recommendations. Link is available below:

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm...5/1425.pdf

Feel free to discuss the report and it's findings in this thread

[iMarkeh]

RE: Transport Select Committee bus report
I think one of the biggest ways we can make things more simple which seems to have been overlooked is the 30,000 smartcard systems and most people not knowing that as long as the cards are ITSO, they can be used with all other ITSO operators (ie Stagecoach Smart cards can actually hold GWR Weekly passes). We need to reduce the number of smartcard systems (and young person photocards) in the UK. This would put more space in peoples wallets/purses (less smartcards), not make people think they need different cards for all areas, reduce waste (people getting rid of cards when they move house). It has endless benefits.

On the whole, the report does seem to have a lot of good things in it. A lot of it is about government providing new/better guidance for councils which is always a good thing but it all depends on if the councils will read the guidance. I do like the sound of the ridding fuel duty for buses and looking to change the concessionary fares as the 'no better, no worse off' is not working and they need to change it to suit current fare levels.

I think it is positive on the whole. It's just getting guidance and changes in place.

[Walton 46]

RE: Transport Select Committee bus report
I went to see the Committee hearing evidence in Liverpool back in January. In the session, the regional heads of Arriva and Stagecoach were asked for their opinions on concessionary fares. The one from Stagecoach said because of how concessionary fares are currently reimbursed, if they had a double decker bus and every passenger was a pass holder, that bus won't pay for itself!

Another thing to come out of it was the need for co-ordinated talks between the bus operators and the highways agency regarding roadworks and diversions in order to try and keep buses running smoothly during works periods

[EDB325]

RE: Transport Select Committee bus report
Those of us who remember the Government's Green Paper on Integrated Public Transport over 20 years ago are only too well aware that a lot of sensible ideas were put forward - including seamless ticketing - but that in the end nothing was achieved. Actually putting legislation into place has been a problem for many years. You only have to look at the Brexit fiasco to realise the difficulties involved.