BUS DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS

Urban bus travel has been declining at a rate of 3-4% a year. In an attempt to find ways of reducing this rate of decline a working group was set up by the then minister of transport to consider ways and means of making bus operation in cities easier. The working group reported in April 1970. It considered that the major factors which would attract more passengers to buses were better reliability of scheduled services, improved overall journey times and greater passenger convenience. Following the report it was decided to mount thirteen demonstration projects in the fields of traffic management with bus priority, better operational control and different types of bus services. The Department of the Environment is monitoring their full effects. The paper mentions the preliminary results of these projects and discusses the roles of those in central and local government. Further steps which might be taken to promote the application of new means of bus operation are discussed.