65% growth - yes you read that right In predominantly rural territory too. This is what can happen when you take a systematic approach to a long distance bus route upgrade. It’s about more than replacing an old diesel bus with a new electric bus and giving yourself a pat on the back- it’s about using the opportunity for: - a carefully planned and thought through approach to fares and the timetable - high spec interiors for the vehicles - targeted promotions I’ve been on it and it is a prime example of how the more can be greater than the sum of the parts. It’s also an indicator of what can be achieved through public control of buses in Wales.
Robert Macgregor
7mo
Mr Bray the taxpayer can’t pay for everything. We can’t go back to the late 1970s with the Labour governments 50per cent bus grant sending bus manufacturers such as Plaxtons sending bus cost soaring.The the heavily subsidised National Bus Company and their soviet style poppy red and leaf green buses. We need private sector investment talented commercial managers doubling bus use on routes inspirational bus leaders such as Brian Souter building great companies making profits to reinvest and not a burden on the taxpayers.
Jonathan we spend a considerable sum of money on rail services in Wales, however many of our communities are not served by the railway. Would it be reasonable to treat the introduction of quality inter-urban bus services in these areas in the same way as we do rail services? I.e. we give them the equivalent of even a small proportion of the subsidy per mile for rural rail services, in recognition of the benefit to the Welsh economy and people, economically and socially? It seems to me that some people are questioning investment into local bus services when spending the same amount on railways would rarely be questioned at all.
John Young
8mo
And a 65% increase in costs, I suspect?
Roy Desouza
7mo
Good to see there is demand still out there, but are you comparing apples and pears as far as the operation goes?
Abhilash Singh
8mo
Is there a detailed report that I can access? Many thanks.
Ben G.
7mo
Green transport infrastructure often feels like 'If you build it, they will come' and this could well be proof of it.
Peter Moth
7mo
Kent Lundberg following our conversation yesterday!
Glenn Hingerty
8mo
Fantastic. Bucking the trend
If you look at it dispassionately, the T1 is what you want in a town to town bus service. It's regular hourly without a schoolday/not schoolday mess and no great variation in route or running times. The rural bus isn't dead if you put the money and the marketing effort in and offer a good service. It costs, not knocking that either. I suspect the cost increase is more than 65% because there's a £3.7m grant for electric buses in there. Electrifying is a different factor and it's a WG aim, so if it wants to commit money there fine. Something like £4m has gone into 'hardware' on the TC corridors in West Wales too. It's a lot in bus terms, but loose change in railway terms and WG is waking up to the comparison. There might be other bits of Wales wondering where their slice of the pie is, however.