§ Mr. HurstTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps his 15W Department is taking to encourage bus companies in the south-east of England to offer commuter services to London; and if he will make a statement. [1068]
§ Ms KeebleThe 10-Year Transport Plan recognises that coach services have a valuable role in expanding transport options including for commuting journeys into major cities. Coach services will benefit from increased investment in the strategic road network, including measures to tackle bottlenecks and improve network management.
The public consultation draft of the Mayor of London's Transport Strategy said that additional commuter and scheduled express coach services on particular routes could fulfil a valuable role in supplementing rail capacity. It said that Transport for London would work with coach operators to review opportunities for extending the role of commuter coaches, taking account of traffic and parking issues. I understand that the Mayor will publish his final Transport Strategy shortly.