详情

原文传递 Inflation busting fare rises and a review of bus services are the price of another short-term funding deal

题名：	Inflation busting fare rises and a review of bus services are the price of another short-term funding deal
正文语种：	eng
作者：	MASK LYONS
摘要：	On June 1, Transport for London (TfL) reached an agreement with the government that extends its financial support until December 11, 2021. This agreement provides £1.08bn in base funding and further support, should our passenger revenue income be lower than forecast and will allow it to continue running near full levels of service. As part of the agreement TfL is required to undertake a joint review of the bus network, with the Department for Transport, to establish the level of demand. Two reviews of the bus network are to be undertaken, in July and September, to establish actual passenger numbers across the network. The timing of the initial review has been criticised by passenger watchdog London TravelWatch, which it has called for a delay until the autumn when more people will have returned to the office, to avoid service cuts based on unrealistic usage figures. Its director, Emma Gibson said: "We're concerned that any review into demand for the bus before most people have returned to work will not give an accurate picture of future bus demand and may lead to the premature cutting of services. "This could lead to the bus becoming less attractive to use, with crowding and an inability to socially distance and a subsequent drop in fares revenue. It would also undermine efforts to avoid a car-led recovery from the pandemic and constrain London's social and economic recovery." Passengers have been returning to the network at a faster rate than expected, with fares income three times that of this time last year. It is still, however, only around half of pre-pandemic levels.
出版年：	2021
期刊名称：	Buses
卷：	73
期：	797