THE PRIVATE SECTOR VIEWPOINT

This paper presents a large bus operator's viewpoint about an appropriate transport strategy for South East England. It aims to show what contributions private public transport operators can make to the development of a balanced transport strategy, and what help is needed to make this contribution as effective as possible. The key is integration, which includes not only providing facilities such as intermodal interchanges, but also various measures for ensuring a consistent framework. Given the right opportunities, operators can contribute: (1) new and improved services at affordable prices; (2) better coordination between modes; (3) effective partnership between operators and central and local government. They can play a vital part in the teamwork needed to implement and develop chosen strategies. The author urges more positive action by the UK Government, for example: (1) removing fuel tax for local service buses; (2) ensuring that the UK's deregulated and private transport is not damaged by European policies; (3) treating competition between different public transport modes as much less important than competition between public and private transport. Local government can give operators the opportunity to carry more passengers at lower prices. For the covering abstract see IRRD 866140.