Politicians must overcome their fears

Bus patronage continues to decline, with demand down 1.9% for the year to 31 March. I always get slightly nervous when the Department for Transport publishes figures on bus demand, because invariably this shows a continuing decline, leading to many citing this as evidence of failure of the deregulated market. Of course, that no longer stacks up, as demand in the regulated London market is also now in decline.

There are a number reasons for this, but central to it is the on-going and chronic problem of traffic congestion. And it’s a vicious circle, because as bus speeds get ever slower, operating costs go up, and patronage declines. And as bus operating costs go up, so the relative cost of car use goes down, thanks to successive governments freezing fuel duty.

So I was pleased to hear that Stagecoach’s regional companies have written to politicians – MPs, MSPs and local councillors – highlighting the really serious impact that congestion is having on its bus operations. I would urge every operator, big and small, to do the same.

People say that ‘something must be done’. Indeed it must, especially if we are to address the growing and associated problem of air pollution

There is a solution, and there has been for many years, but it’s a solution that politicians have consistently run a mile from. Unless and until national and local politicians are willing to face up to reality and introduce road pricing, the problem of congestion isn’t going to go away.

In London, travelling around on four wheels, whether by car, bus or taxi, is becoming next to impossible thanks to the combined effect of constant roadworks and large chunks of road space being given over to dedicated cycle lanes.

Fortunately, in London there is a viable alternative with the tube network, but elsewhere that’s not the case except in those few cities lucky enough to have metro systems.

But unless politicians are prepared to face up to reality and recognise that the cost of motoring must go up, whether by a hike in fuel duty or the introduction of road pricing, the problem of congestion is just going to get worse.

If you believe in the free market you may just say that if people want to travel by car, regardless of the problems of congestion, that’s their privilege. You might argue that congestion will become self-regulating as motorists will get so fed up sitting in traffic jams they will give up their cars of their own free will.

This is a forlorn hope. Unless there is direct political intervention I can’t see people giving up their cars. And there are strong public policy and economic reasons for this.

It’s time for politicians of all parties to overcome their fear of an electoral backlash and reach a cross-party consensus that road pricing must have its day.