THE RATIONALE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT

In 1972 public-transport subsidies by local authorities totalled 13 million English pounds; in 1974-75 they were estimated at 102 million. It was first announced in 1974 that the 1978-79 subsidy would be reduced to 50 million (at November 1973 prices) and in September 1975 further reductions were notified to county councils. The author discusses the influence that subsidies can have both on public transport facilities provided, the use of such facilities in relation to mobility and land use planning objectives, and the need that will arise for county councils to work towards the integration of their transport policies and programmes (tpps) into the structure plan, whereby consistency can be achieved between objectives for both planning strategy and transport policy. The implications behind the reductions in subsidies are discussed in the context of the link that is considered to exist between such subsidies and planning objectives which can be effected through public transport policy objectives. A summary of the arguments is: (1) subsidies should lead to increased use of public transport by allowing the operation of a better and/or cheaper service than would be the case on commercial grounds; (2) increased use of public transport can, in certain circumstances, lead to increased efficiency in resource allocation in the transport sector by obtaining a given level of benefits at a lower resource cost; (3) an improved level of public transport provision can result in increased mobility for certain members of the community; (4) both (2) and (3) can influence location decisions and affect land use planning policies. This article is presented as an attempt to offer guidance on which county councils can formulate policies and determine rationales for their subsidy policies. /TRRL/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00410020
• Corporate Authors:

  Liverpool University Press

  123 Grove Street
  Liverpool L7 7AF,   England 
• Authors:
  • TYSON, W J
• Publication Date: 1976-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 315-324
• Serial:
  • Town Planning Review
  • Volume: 47
  • Publisher: Liverpool University Press
  • ISSN: 0041-0020
  • EISSN: 1478-341X
  • Serial URL: https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/journals/id/43

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; County government; Economic analysis; Economic factors; Economics; Energy conservation; Finance; Financing; Land use; Land use planning; Level of service; Local government agencies; Mobility; Planning; Policy; Policy making; Public transit; Socioeconomic factors; Subsidies; Transportation; Transportation planning; Transportation policy; Urban transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Use
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• Old TRIS Terms: Government policies
• ITRD Terms: 263: Economics of transport; 244: Financing; 356: Land use; 653: Level of service; 192: Local authority; 143: Planning; 173: Policy; 744: Public transport; 8119: United Kingdom; 9084: Use
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; Energy; Finance; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Society; Transportation (General); I10: Economics and Administration; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00149874
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Report/Paper Numbers: N4
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 13 1981 12:00AM