Politicians must support our bus industry
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E BUS and coach industry is en thwarted in its efforts to ovide a better service by the xtremes and inconsistencies" the transport policies of major litical parties, said Confederan of British Road Passenger ansport president Ron Whittle Eastbourne.
"In other countries, the right d left wings are agreed on the sential need for public transrt, and work to that end. In ritain, the political pendulum .ngs violently with damaging ects for the bus industry," he id.
Mr Whittle told a packed pening conference session that was a political decision to keep us fares down in the early eventies, and a political deciion in 1974 to raise them to ecoomic levels, so outstripping Ifiation. Busmen got no credit 3r the low fares but were lamed for the rapid increases tich followed, he said.
"The industry had been obged to adapt to an average of ne major piece of legislation iery three years in the past 13 tars, as well as having to cope ith major changes in financial Ippon — or the lack of it. If -esent Government policies are Jrsued, support for our Indusy will have been reduced by 44 .3r cent in real terms between )75 and 1984," he claimed.
The subsidy for each rail pasanger is 95p, but for each bus 3ssenger, it is only 5p, said Mr thittle. Even the private car gets lore favourable treatment than le bus, with British Leyland wing secured financial support orth nearly £2 billion, he said. "The bus industry does not ish to be grasping, but it bewes it should have a fair share the finance available to trans)rt in view of its role as the ajor public transport carrier. In cent months the Government 3s opened the treasure house r British Rail while opposing d for bus passengers."
But money is not everything, said Mr Whittle. Better planning and traffic management could help Britain's 20 million daily bus passengers, he feels. (CPT has recently published a book — Urban Planning and Design for Public Road Transport.) Despite the problems of party politics, the industry has been and is making major moves to improve its service to the public, said Mr Whittle.
"The Confederation has been taking a hard look at how to promote our industry actively to an audience which, in the face of a barrage of indoctrination from other forms of transport, has become apathetic towards the bus and coach," he said.