“For rural businesses to thrive and provide the jobs that local communities desperately need, we must adopt a holistic approach. First and foremost, serious investment in public transport is essential.“
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Trains and buses really help but safe cycling infrastructure and footpaths are low cost and effective especially if e-bikes are subsidised and there are secure bike parking facilities in towns.
I'm not an expert, but I'd have thought a bus network increase would cost less than cycle infrastructure? Or is this a case where CapEx gets offset by the opEx?
A network of low population rural villages is very uneconomical for a bus service to frequent. We already have networks of footpaths across overgrown fields. If some of them could be upgraded to cycle tracks, once done there are low maintenance costs and lots of health benefits for users.
That means revenue support. Which needs to be raised from somewhere. Parking charges is one option, fuel duty another. Unfortunately, most people living in the countryside think both are a fundamental abuse of their human rights. So, no buses then.
We desperately need a tourist tax in the Peak District. Rammed full of cars on weekends and school holidays, but travelling anywhere (whether by public transport or even driving) takes ages due to tortuous bus routes and windy roads. We need to restore the rail link between Derby and Manchester.
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Am I mentally underestimating how expensive bus routes are?
They have voted for local and national governments that have hollowed out local public transport **as a deliberate policy choice**.
I expect they'll do the same in future.