§ Mr. CartwrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received seeking an increase of funding for London Dial-a-Ride to enable it to provide one trip a week to each of its registered users; and what response he has made.
§ Mr. David MitchellI have received a number of letters from Members of Parliament, voluntary organisations and private individuals concerning the "one trip a week" campaign by the London Dial-a-Ride User's Association. In replying I have pointed out that funding has already been increased from £4.2 million in 1985–86 to £6.27 million in 1988–89 and this has provided for a substantial expansion of Dial-a-Ride services. London Regional Transport believes that there is still considerable scope for increasing service provision within existing resources by452W more cost-effective operation. We would expect that to be fully exploited before substantial increases in resources are sought.