BUS DEREGULATION TWO YEARS ON

This paper attempts to report the results of bus deregulation in the UK as impartially as possible and considers it from both national and local viewpoints; the author expresses his personal views. The 1985 transport act was controversial, and its passage was accompanied by protest from local authorities, bus operators, and the National Bus Company; the nine major purposes of the act are quoted. The author considers that the act has on the whole succeeded, although there are still some problems to be solved, especially in London. The British government did what they set out to do, with very little effort. There were considerable problems in some parts of the UK soon after deregulation, but most of them seem to have been solved by now, and most of the many bus services have now come much closer to mutual equilibrium. In some areas, there were very large fare increases, because fares had been 'artificially low' before; there were also some moderate decreases in numbers of passengers. The author concludes that the 1985 transport act has succeeded and benefitted the bus industry; the market, not the supplier, will now dictate the changes. Locally, leicester city bus has survived its competition with midland fox and other rivals, but it would feel more viable if its managers and employees could buy it from leicester city council. It is more efficient, more aware, and more conscious of the need to provide a service; it believes that its customers expect and deserve the best.

• Corporate Authors:

  INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORT ADMINISTRATION

  32 PALMERSTON ROAD
  Southampton,   United Kingdom 
• Authors:
  • Hind, R A
• Publication Date: 1988-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 2-5
• Serial:
  • Transport Management
  • Volume: 88
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Institute of Transportation Administration

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Buses; Competition; Deregulation; Level of service; Passengers; Public transit; Tariffs; Urban areas
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 1272: Bus; 235: Competition; 144: Deregulation; 653: Level of service; 744: Public transport; 241: Tariff; 8119: United Kingdom; 313: Urban area; 1715: Vehicle occupant
• Subject Areas: Passenger Transportation; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00487493
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 30 1989 12:00AM