§ Dr. Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for Transport what comparative changes in bus usage in terms of passenger journeys and passenger miles have taken place between 1981 and 1984 within the deregulated trial areas and the areas covered by the metropolitan county councils.
§ Mr. David MitchellThe figures are not available for the trial areas. Passenger journeys in the metropolitan counties— excluding Tyne and Wear because the introduction of the Metro alters the basis for assessing change in bus usage between 1981–82 and 1982–83—will have increased by 0.9 per cent. between 1981–82 and 1984–85 on current projections. This compares with an increase in subsidy on current projections of 9.2 per cent. over the same period.
Figures for passenger miles are available only from 1982–83, and in the six metropolitan counties are projected to have risen by 1.2 per cent. between 1982–83 and 1984–85.