Do.
Frankly, I have heard people say that they could not possibly travel to work from Consett to Stanley or vice versa, and variously laugh or scream at the suggestion of working in Durham or Newcastle. This attitude simply will not do.
But all too easy an excuse for it is provided by the absence of a national network of public transport free at the point of use, based around railways uniquely renationalised without compensation in view of the manner of their privatisation, and including the reversal of bus route and, where possible, rail line closures going back to the 1950s.
There are not many frontline politicians who still think quite that far outside the prescribed box. But one such is Iain Duncan Smith. So, over to him.
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Interesting. What would be the initial capital investment, what would the operational costs be and what ROI would you expect to see over what time period?
ReplyDeleteA national network free at the point of use? I'd pay for that!
ReplyDeleteMethinks IDS is too busy 'encouraging' people to get off benefits and apply for non-existent jobs.
Carit, depends how many bus routes and rail lines we wanted to revive at the start.
ReplyDeleteIt would save the present subsidies to the so-called private railways, plus the cost of adminstering the fares syste, before we even started on anything else like the benefits claimed by people who currently cannot afford to travel even small distances to work.
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