THE PRODUCTION OF BUS STRATEGIES BY LOCAL TRANSPORT AUTHORITIES

The clause in the Transport Bill (United Kingdom) that requires Local Transport Authorities to develop road passenger transport strategies is discussed in relation to buses. This implies a partnership between the Local Authority and the Transport Operator. The purpose of this from the point of view of the Local Authority is to reduce hardship and social exclusion, and to improve the environment and economic performance of an area by reducing dependence on the private car. For bus operators increased profitability and increased bus use are the main objectives. The differing requirements of urban, small town and rural areas are discussed. The improvement of facilities on core urban and inter-urban routes, and niche markets serving the journey to work and the journey to school is considered important to achieve a modal shift in transport use. For preventing social exclusion in rural areas, it is suggested that taxis and voluntary and community transport schemes may be as important as mainstream bus services. Improvements to information provision, concessionary fares, roadside infrastructure, customer care and new developments are discussed. For the covering abstract see ITRD E109852.