NBC riding high in wake of Act
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ABOUT 200 new services have developed as a result of the delicensing of buses, said Transport Secretary Norman Fowler in the Commons last week.
Cheap fares and good alternative services were attracting new people to the coach, he continued, and the Government believed that the public should have the right to choose how they travelled.
Labour transport spokesman John Prescott while admitting there had been considerable growth in the express service and that fares had been drastically reduced, said that British Coachways' competition had foundered against the National Bus Company which was expanding at a far greater rate.
On the inter-city network, especially some of the routes to the North-West, there were indications that the NBC had increased its ridership by about 200 per cent, abstracting passengers who had previously travelled by British Rail.
They had switched to buses because of cheaper fares, but NBC was producing more SCOTTISH OMNIBUSES have launched a new express motorway service between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
With a journey time of 75 minutes, the city centre to city centre service is designed for commuters and shoppers. Single fares cost £1.50 and return £2.50. Twelve daily services will be provided. vehicles on the motorways yet fewer services in the rural areas. British Rail was feeling the effect of that policy.
This, added Mr Prescott, was the sort of Government policy which Labour had said would undermine the integrated transport system.
Later Junior Transport Minister Kenneth Clarke, said that since last October over 100 new express services had been started up, three quarters of them by independent operators.