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[email protected] · January 21st 16, 08:24 PM posted to uk.transport.london

In article ,
(Neil Williams) wrote:

On 2016-01-21 17:08:06 +0000, said:

As well as being a state socialist, Owen Jones overlooks the success
stories, however few, of bus privatisation outside London.

And how, while Lothian is a picture of how to do it (give or take the
no change policy) in a city that is ideal for bus operation, some of
the other municipals are, and were, dire. I haven't heard a kind
word said about Warrington for ages, for instance.

I'd be more inclined to say that tendering areas for exclusive
operation would work better, with a looser specification giving more
commercial freedom. Petty spats between operators don't help
matters, and it's not as if bus operators with de-facto monopolies
actually seem to abuse this even now.

That is assuming that the local political leadership have a clue how to run
a transport network. Some do but most don't. Bus managers don't do much
better, hence the places where bus ridership has gone on declining, but more
do than the local politicos I suggest. And I speak as a retired local
politician.

--
Colin Rosenstiel