We need to empower people to be able to choose public transport

Before I begin I want to apologise - I've sadly missed two of my articles this month due to the fact my father-in-law was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this month and then passed away last week after a short battle with it and covid. This has somewhat thrown my family and me off-kilter. I am determined to keep my promise though that I would share my transport choices this month and you will find this below the main article.

We need to empower people to be able to choose public transport

At least 10 years ago, a bus company locally used the slogan "bus travel - more affordable and convenient than you think". My husband and I always used to smile at that - "I'm sure it is" we would both say "because frankly, I think that it's expensive, a pain to use, unreliable and won't get me where I want to be". And that was truly our experience as my husband commuted to London and every day and, as there wasn't a bus that would get him from where we lived to the train station for the 7:10 train, I would get up and drive him there early in the morning every day with our two small children in the car. As for using it during the daytime, often there would be no space for my buggy or, by the time I'd paid for me and one child over 5, it was cheaper and easier to just drive into town and park.

At the next General Election, our manifesto will no doubt be changed and improved to better reflect the world as it is now but I hope this illustrates to you our genuine commitment as a Party to bus travel. You can read more in 2019 manifesto here under the headings 'Improving Transport' and 'Reducing the Need for Car Travel'.

My belief in the Lib Dem commitment to bus travel as a real alternative is why I'm also really concerned about the state of bus services locally and in particular their funding.

Earlier this week the Guardian ran an article on whether the Government will continue to provide its grant funding to support operators whose bus revenues have yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels. It highlighted that across the UK almost one in three bus services are at risk.

Speaking to Guildford and Cranleigh's Lib Dem councillors, they have advised that local services have not returned to pre-pandemic levels due to a number of reasons - financial, a significant shortage of bus drivers and high levels of staff sickness due to covid. All valid reasons in theory but we are in something of a vicious circle - if local people can't rely on the bus service they won't choose it, and if they don't choose it the service will be reduced because it is no longer financially viable. There is also the issue that buses are not well-regulated which means that companies can 'run away' if they want, e.g. they feel the route is not financially viable/they cannot make a profit.

Our councillors are not aware of any currently at-risk routes, but if there are any we're unlikely to be told by Surrey County Council until shortly before the route disappears. Of course, route closures reduce the ability of people to choose public transport and, particularly in our more rural areas, increase isolation and can cause problems for people seeking work but who don't have a car.

Local councils and Government both need to act urgently to provide support and improve our bus services. They also need to address the regulation problem. Not acting is not an option.

Firstly, Government needs to continue its support, through grants, to operators as they continue to provide services while we are still emerging from the pandemic. Secondly, I urge local councils, Government and bus companies to actually listen to bus users and the general public so that they understand what users want from services and what the public is looking for in order to make them choose bus travel. (The same goes for trains but that's another article.) More than this though, I want to see real investment in bus, and more widely public transport, infrastructure including ensuring that the emphasis is on future-proof electric and hydrogen vehicles that are not just the green choice for users but also greener in terms of emissions.

We need reliable, affordable and convenient alternatives to the car - we have a long way to go but the Liberal Democrats and I are committed to seeing it happen. After all, if we care about the future of our planet and our society we have to act.

Zöe Franklin
Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Guildford, Cranleigh and our villages
25th February 2022

As promised, here is my travel diary for the rest of February: