£2bn for buses and trains 'not enough'

Sep 22 2006 By Ben Hurst

PLANS for congestion charging in Birmingham were today dealt a blow when it emerged that bus passenger levels have plunged for the fifth year in a row.

Department for Transport statistics revealed there were 321 million journeys in the last 12 months in the West Midlands, down from 327 million the previous year and 362 million a decade ago.

The West Midlands Metropolitan Congestion Study has predicted that traffic will increase by 22 per cent by 2021 if nothing is done.

Congestion schemes suggested include a system in which motor-ists have to pay £5 a day to go into the city centre If charging was introduced, millions of extra jouneys would have to be made by bus and £2 billion would be spent on public transport - but the Liberal Democrat Group on the Passenger Transport Authrority claim this is not enough.

Coun Jon Hunt said: "The £2 billion of phase one investment that is proposed, up to 2014, will not achieve a step change shift in use of public transport that is needed.

"In particular we do not see any strategy that will change perceptions of bus travel in any systematic way or encourage significant numbers of commuters and other travellers to move to public transport."