MoT to probe rural bus problems
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• Pilot studies of the transport problems in two of the more remote rural areas—one in Devon, the other in West Suffolk—are to be carried out by the Ministry of Transport in conjunction with the two county councils.
This was disclosed by Mr Michael Heseltine, Parliamentary Secretary, in a speech in Devon last week. He said that for years country services had been supported by profits made in urban areas; recent fare levels, mounting costs and decreasing passengers had eliminated this financial reservoir.
But local authorities could, through the rural bus grant scheme, subsidize those local services they considered necessary through a rates contribution. "Where such support is forthcoming," he said, "the MoT contributes 50 per cent of the cost. It is early days to say, but so far this scheme has not matched up to the apparent demand for public transport in the rural areas.
"We believe that it is necessary to take a new and urgent look therefore at the problems that exist."
Local consultations would be carried out with people and interests in the pilot areas to find out the facts. More would be learned about transport needs of the local people; the Ministry would see what could be done by improvisation, unconventional methods and adapting existing services of all kinds.
Mr Heseltine said that they would look more closely at possibilities like postal buses, fare paying passengers on school buses, car pool schemes and locally organized services.
"We shall also want to see what continuing part the normal bus service has to play and what role there is for subsidy. We may find there is a good case for changes in licensing and we shall certainly be prepared to give this detailed consideration."
He said that it was necessary, in taking a new look at the problems, to start from the fact that most people either had cars or access to them, leaving public transport to provide for "a limited number of people who either do not own cars or cannot drive. Traditional bus services are an expensive mode of catering for these relatively small numbers and for what in transport terms is an irregular pattern of movement."
TUC letter Mr Victor Feather, general secretary of the TUC in a letter to the Minister has expressed concern at the NBC's threat to discontinue more rural services—such action, he said, could defeat the intention of the 1968 Transport Act to keep rural services open with the help of subsidies.
Meanwhile, seven local authorities in Staffordshire have decided against subsidizing rural services. This has been disclosed by the Potteries Motor Traction Co Ltd, which is asking Stoke-on-Trent city council for its views.