Proposals in the government’s Draft Transport Bill 2007 offer Essex a unique opportunity to improve bus services say Liberal Democrats at Essex County Council. The core purpose of the draft Bill is to tackle congestion and it offers a range of initiatives including the improvement of public transport.

Commenting on the draft proposals, Cllr Keith Francis, Liberal Democrat transport spokesman said: “I welcome this long overdue Bill from the government and I am pleased to see the possibility of improved bus services.

“I would like to see the County Council have much greater influence over such a major plank of its transport strategy and be able to let Quality Bus Contracts. These Contracts would deliver the level of improvement that is necessary and would cover fares and timetables, however, I believe network coverage should be included. This could vastly improve accessibility by extending services to many more communities and so offer a real alternative to the car.

“As any regular bus user will know, most current bus services disintegrate after 7pm and disappear on Sundays and Bank Holidays. The bus industry, deregulated in 1985, is not delivering the level of service that is needed and changes have to be made. Increasingly, bus companies’ commercial interests result in abandoning unprofitable routes and it is then left to the county council to support them. Overall, this offers poor value for money for the taxpayer.”

Cllr Francis, who represents Chelmsford, is urging the County to seize the opportunities raised by this set of draft proposals that should also be seen as key in providing answers to our traffic and pollution problems.

“I am hoping that the cross-party transport Policy Development Group will be able to debate this important Bill when it meets in the autumn.”