September 29 2023
The Prime Minister will reportedly announce a "Plan for motorists" on Monday, which includes allowing cars the greater use of bus lanes.
Responding to the reports, Graham Vidler, CEO of the Confederation of Passenger Transport, the voice of the bus and coach sector, said:
“The Government’s reported plan to limit local authorities’ powers to prioritise buses would be a backwards step for the UK’s bus passengers.
“With 40% of low income households and more than three quarters of job seekers having no access to a car, these plans will not help those hardest hit by the cost of living crisis.
“Over two thirds of the public want the Government to take action to help reach net zero, by encouraging the UK to change the way it travels.
“Encouraging people to switch car journeys to travelling by bus is vital for the UK to meet its decarbonisation goals. Making the bus more attractive by getting buses out of traffic, and increasing bus speeds, is the easiest way to do this.
“With one bus able to take up to 75 cars off the road, making buses more attractive by keeping them out of traffic, is one of the quickest and fairest ways of reducing carbon emissions from transport.”
ENDS