A New Framework for Better Bus Services

 

 

 

Integrated planning

 

Integrated urban transport would cut congestion in city centres streets (as in Glasgow’s Renfield Street, above). Co-ordinated planning of city transport would improve efficiency and allow investment in pollution-free electric metros, trams and trolleybuses.

Rural Transport

 

Much of rural Scotland is sparsely populated with long distances between settlements. To provide better, socially inclusive public transport here, greater funding is needed for more frequent scheduled rural buses, Demand Responsive Transport, and tourist routes (as at Trossachs Pier, right) as part of an integrated national transport network.

 

 

Transport Co-ordination

 

Better co-ordination of bus, train, ferry and air services would improve travel opportunities and allow an integrated public transport network to be created. Switzerland has established a world-class integrated transport system with reliable bus/rail connections (as at Linthal, right) which benefits residents and also is a major attraction for tourists.

Buses are the backbone of local public transport, carrying  482 million passengers in 2006/7 . Many bus services are good, but some areas have problems of quality, reliability and timetable stability which highlight flaws in the deregulated bus industry framework. The Scottish bus industry receives almost £300 million of annual public funding through Bus Operator Grant, the Concessionary free travel scheme, and local authority subsidy. This funding should be made conditional on bus operators agreeing to join a future national smart-card ticketing system, and to co-ordinate timetables with each other, and with rail and ferry services, making multi-leg and multi-modal journeys easier by public transport.

 

This may require Statutory Quality Partnerships to be set up in many urban areas. A stable planning basis for urban bus routes and schedules would allow better provision of information. More bus lanes would improve reliability.