| Q. What measures
are proposed in the transport bill?
A. The main proposals within the bill are
giving local transport authorities the power to set standards for bus services
in their own locality and empowering local authorities to introduce
road user charging and charging for workplace parking.
Q. Motorists
pay enough fuel and road tax already. Why should they have to pay
road charges?
A. The current costs of road transport
do not reflect the true costs of motoring. Other factors must be
considered. Environmental pollution, its effect upon people’s health
and the subsequent costs to the NHS, as well as the cost in human lives
brought about by road traffic accidents and the economic costs of congestion.
Under certain circumstances, the Scottish Executive has concluded that
it would be appropriate to charge motorists for road use.
Q. Would charging
be an effective means of reducing congestion?
A. Any charging that would occur would
be on congested urban roads, not tolls on existing motorways and trunk roads.
The net revenue from charging would be designated for local transport purposes.
This additional funding would also be a genuinely additional source of
transport expenditure, not merely a means of raising existing funds.
Charging alone will not solve congestion problems, thus it is accompanied
by proposed improvements to public transport by giving local authorities
greater power.
Q. What effect will
the transport bill have upon local transport authorities?
A. The bill would give local authorities
the power to improve the quality of local bus services and limit congestion
and air pollution through partnerships with bus companies. They will
have the power to fine transport operators whose service is proven to be
unreliable. Local transport authorities would be able to deliver
a service which is suited to local needs.
Q. How will this
specifically affect bus services?
A. Through either partnerships or contracts
with local bus operators, local authorities will be able to set standards
over the types of vehicles used, the number of bus lanes and bus shelters,
and, occasionally, the price and frequency of the service offered.
“Through-ticketing” is also proposed, allowing users to purchase a single
ticket for their journey which could be used across different operators
and across different forms of transport (e.g. bus/rail/ferry).
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