Self-proclaimed ‘leading think tank’ claims that Sapphire, Gold would come to capital with deregulation
The Adam Smith Institute (ASI), a self-proclaimed leading liberal think tank, has called for the full privatisation and deregulation of London’s buses, claiming that such a development would lead to faster, more customer-oriented services.
In a blog written by Tom Walker and published on the ASI website, it claims that “London’s buses provide what has to be one of the slowest and least convenient public transport systems anywhere in Europe,” and it alleges that many services in the capital run close to empty.
Additionally, Mr Walker claims that the Transport for London (TfL) network “fails in providing a service that responds in any way to demand.”
He describes London’s bus routes as “indirect, circuitous and painfully slow,” adding that deregulation would bring in competition and increase standards.
He claims that a limited amount of “private competition” was introduced in the 1990s. “Operators like Grey-Green brought a splash of monotony that otherwise prevails,” says Mr Walker.
In fact, Grey-Green operated route tenders on the same basis as today’s TfL contractors.
Under private operation, the Institute claims that “gone would be the slow red double-decker carting fresh air around every back street.” In its place, the blog continues, “there would emerge direct point-to-point services, picking up at major destinations and responding directly to passengers’ needs.”
Mr Walker – who adds that London’s bus stops are too close together – says that there are too many buses in London, and that privatisation and deregulation would see brands such as Arriva Sapphire and Stagecoach Gold debut in the capital.
“The current state of London’s bus network is a sad reflection on the conflicted political ideologies that have shaped it since the 1950s… destroyed as it was by a political drive to free up road space for the car.”
Read the full blog at bit.ly/2vugJzN
