Labour fail on bus use targets

11.13.57am GMT Sat 10th Dec 2005

On the same day that the National Audit Office and Audit Commission release a report ("Delivery Chain Analysis for Bus Services in England") on how well local authorities and commercial bus operators are meeting the targets set by the Department for Transport to increase bus passenger numbers, the Liberal Democrats release the results of their own research which reveals that bus use has been declining in every single region outside London. The results show that, since 2000, bus use in the:

• North East is DOWN 13%

• West Midlands is DOWN 10%

• East of England is DOWN 9%

• Yorkshire and the Humber Region is DOWN 9%

Overall, in England outside of London, bus use since 2000 has declined by 7%. Commenting Tom Brake MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, said:

"Labour's have comprehensively failed to meet their targets for increased bus use outside London.

"The picture however is not uniformly bad, with bus use in Liberal Democrat controlled councils like York and Cambridge experiencing growth through effective partnerships with bus operators.

"If Alistair Darling genuinely wishes to see people out of cars and provide a safe, reliable and affordable public transport system, then he has to provide local areas with greater flexibility and freedom over bus services. Where this has happened in London the effects have been clear."