Sussex wrote:
The stupid cow wants to keep taxi quotas to help out the bus people.
![Shock :shock:](./images/smilies/shock.gif)
well, todays news article seems like the taxis are winning the "war":
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G1CD2129B
CITY COMMUTERS ARE OFF THE BUSES
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NICK LESTER
12:00 - 08 August 2005
Bus use in Plymouth has plummeted by nearly three million journeys in the last five years according to official figures. The number of passenger journeys fell dramatically during the period from 21.4 million in 2000/01 to 18.7 million last year - a drop of 12.6 per cent.
The figures pose a major challenge for the Labour-run city council which has put buses at the heart of plans to meet the future transport needs of Plymouth, which seek to encourage more people out of their cars and to use public transport as part of a drive to tackle increasing congestion and pollution.
Getting more people onto buses is also one of a number of tough targets set by the council, and agreed with government, which could net the city millions of pounds in extra cash if met.
The dramatic decline in bus use in recent years has been put down to a number of reasons including the loss of concessionary fares for schools - scrapped as part of budget cuts under the former Conservative administration - which has had a 'significant' impact according to a council report.
Other factors highlighted include the growing cost gap between public transport and private motoring, rising car ownership, and the lack of integration between bus fares and car parking charges.
The report points out it is cheaper to park at Western Approach than it is to travel from Milehouse Park and Ride.
The local authority has also come under fire recently following the scrapping of a number of bus services by the council-owned Citybus, at the very time it is encouraging people to use public transport.
Labour transport chiefs acknowledge the decline in bus usage presents a challenge, but points out steps are being taken to tackle this.
Cabinet member for transport Cllr Sue Dann said: "We are aware that passenger numbers have been decreasing and we know that we have a challenge ahead, but we are addressing that challenge now as well as having more ideas for the future.
"We are currently increasing park and ride facilities out on the A386, we are putting in more bus priority lanes on major transport corridors in the city to speed up our bus journeys, and making sure we have got a much easier, more user-friendly ticketing system.
"At the same time we are working with the bus companies to make sure we can provide a reliable, quality bus service.
"That's happening now, and in the future we will be addressing the whole issue of public transport in greater detail."
Cllr Dann added: "We currently subsidise bus services up to £437,000 to make sure we try to address the issues of accessibility across the city, especially for those who may have a mobility problem, the elderly, or those without a car.
"What we intend to do is look at how we spend this money to improve the services we currently provide for those most in need.
"It's easy to constantly criticise public transport in the city, but unlike the Tory opposition, the current Labour council is tackling the problem."
The Conservative opposition however say the dramatic decline in bus use highlights Labour's 'failed' transport policy.
Conservative shadow transport spokesman Cllr Kevin Wigens said: "The figures showing the sharp decline in bus use highlight Labour's failed transport policy.
"The reality is in a city of this size and importance we should be thinking big and pursue our policy of introducing light rail and tram systems to encourage people to use public transport. This is what other cities have done or are doing, yet all we see from this Labour administration is a reliance on the bus, and it's quite apparent it's not working.
"It's also vital that public transport improvements are put in place before any more anti-car measures such as parking charge hikes are introduced."
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they forgot that its often cheaper for 4 passengers to share a PH car in to town than it is for the same 4 to get a bus.
plus we come to their door and drop them exactly where they want to got quicker, cheaper, and safer. and they wonder why the buses are losing passengers.