A new government scheme aims to make journeys cheaper and easier with ‘joined-up transport’
Getting around is getting easier as bus and train services become better integrated, fares are simplified, and walking and cycling facilities are boosted.
Launching the coalition government’s Door to Door strategy, UK transport minister Norman Baker said: “When people are thinking about their journey, they naturally think about the cost and complexity of the entire trip, door to door, not just the ride on the train or bus.
“So as well as cutting out the hassle, we need to make it simpler and more reliable to combine different ways of travelling to get the whole way from A to B.”
The government says ‘joined-up transport’ will enable door to door journeys to be made without cars.
In Scotland some train fares are to be cut by up to 41% as a new, simplified pricing structure is introduced on the train network.
On the Black Isle peninsula in the Highlands, bikes are being carried on local bus services for the first time, with all services to Inverness that start or finish in Cromarty now offering capacity for up to three bicycles.
Malcolm Shepherd, chief executive of Sustrans, said greater co-operation was vital in improving transport: “As fuel prices rise and we struggle to find opportunities to live healthy lives, it’s important to ensure it is easier to make journeys by bike, foot or public transport.”
