CPT responds to South Yorkshire’s plans to encourage motorists onto public transport

Road user charging, workplace parking levies and reallocation of road space from private cars to buses are among the ideas put forward in documents published by South Yorkshire’s Mayoral Combined Authority to encourage a shift in travel habits from car to bus.

Released in support of the consultation on bus franchising, which is about to close, an official assessment by the mayoral authority, which covers the four metropolitan boroughs of Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley, argues that if it takes control of the transport network, it would be better able to drive a switch away from cars through workplace parking levies or other parking charges. It says that subject to broader political support, measures to improve bus patronage could include reallocation of road space to buses and/or road user charging. 

Commenting on the proposals the Confederation of Passenger Transport’s (CPT’s) Andrew McGuinness, Regional Manager for the North of England, said, “Bus operators in South Yorkshire share the same goal as the Mayor – to deliver frequent, reliable and affordable buses. As an industry, we stand ready to work with local authorities to make a success of any regulatory model.

“However, local authority control of buses isn’t a silver bullet and will not, in isolation, enhance services or encourage any more passengers to catch the bus. The key to increasing passenger numbers is to speed up journeys, tackle traffic jams and to back any plan with long-term funding for buses.

“We welcome consideration in South Yorkshire of bold steps to devote more road space to buses and to reduce the attractiveness of car travel, which can be done with or without franchising. Every passenger who switches from car to bus will cut congestion, contribute to better air quality and deliver a boosting to the local economy.”

Research published by the CPT has found that a 10% increase in bus speeds typically increases passenger demand by 2.5% and reduces the operating costs of buses by 8%, releasing money that can be invested in more frequent services, or in zero emission vehicles. If an increase in bus speeds is combined with measures to increase the cost of running a car, passenger demand has the potential to increase by as much as 20%.