| Comment | The free transport thing is just a pilot, probably involving a few hundred people. It's just to test the water and gather evidence for what system of pricing we might end up at, and how targeted free fares might be part of that.
The report at the end will probably end up recommending against full universal free ticketing. Lots of similar studies have found the benefits are relatively marginal when compared with simple low ticket prices generally in getting people out of their cars and into PT. And that the cost of implementing such a free ticketing regime rarely outweighs the overall cost of subsidy.
The council is also exploring a franchise model for the buses, the model used in London and recently rolled out in Manchester. They've started the preparatory work on this, but it would likely be 5 years or so at least until it's done. Still, it is on the way. |
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