Congestion chokes London Count
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'RAFFIC congestion, investment and relationships with local uthorities were among the evidence London Country Bus Services td presented to a House of Commons Select Committee considring transportation in London last week.
As an example of traffic congstion, the Committee's attenon was drawn to Green Line )ute 734. This route was introuced in October 1979 as a reult of a joint working party thich identified a definite deland for a cross London link to leathrow Airport.
The service was designed to perate at an average speed of nly 17mph through the Greater ondon Council area, traffic ongestion on the route made yen this impossible. As a conequence the service became npopular with passengers and /as withdrawn.
The evidence presented learly shows how traffic congstion resulting from vehicles arked on the roadway, and .om uncontrolled pedestrian rossings results in extra costs )r. the bus operator.
The report points out how )cal traffic problems are often shelved by local authorities.
The "realistic" attitude of local authorities in the LCBS area to revenue support was helpful, continued the evidence, but LCBS also warned that in the absence of this support "it would have no alternative but to diminish the facilities currently used by the public".
LCBS also pointed out that the way to avoid the average age of its buses increasing was to plan an adequate vehicle replace ment programme to ensure that present reliability standards could be maintained.
The phasing cut of bus grant, it said, will make this difficult and an extra sum of £1.5m a year would have to be raised from either Co unty grants or fare increases.
LCBS also 'have to cope with its statutory pension liability, inherited from London Transport, . which, according to the evidence, is a millstone which requires an extra £455,000 from revenue a year and which could be overcome with a current investment of £3.6m.