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Craig Hall

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Any one for free public transport

In the UK we spend £6 billion on subsidies to the train and bus companies. If we add 1p on income tax we could raise a further £5 billion giving us a grand total of £11 billion a year to spend on infrastructure and transport and provide free public transport.
Not only would we create real jobs and growth, but it would eleviate congestion leading to cleaner air. Reduce road traffic accidents, increase disposable income to the poorest, after all we are being taxed to get to work and back. Can you imagine coal mine workers being charged to travel down the mine shafts.
It would also increase the chances of reducing our carbon emissions, it's a win win.

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  • Ryan Newlon

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    Mar 5 2013: I take issue with you calling it free. Its not free you are paying for it, maybe not at the time of service but you are paying plain and simple. With government running it you are open to more waste. If you wish to encourage people to drive less then cities need to be set up to sustain said behavior. If things are closer in proximity it would be easier to take a bike or walk. Not to mention an issue I see is that the bus schedules are abismal. I lived 30 minutes from where I worked at the time. In order for me to take a bus I would have to leave for work 2-3 hours early. But on top of work I was also going to school, I don't have time for that. I also work a late shift and the busses don't run when I get off work. The cost to run them at the time I would need is very high. I feel their are many aspects of this you may not be taking into account. Its like Communism. It looks good on paper but not in practice.

    • Craig Hall

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      Mar 5 2013: I don't use public transport but I do pay indirectly through taxation to subsidise the bus and train companies. Maybe we ought to take a leaf out of the London Olympics and allow the Army to run it. After all we will be throwing some of our servicemen, who recently did tours in Afghanistan, on the dole.
      There have been a number of activities suggested in this debate to reduce congestion but a free public transportation system would be beneficial for everyone in the long run.
      If we can send a man to the moon then we should have the capacity to run a viable transport system.
      You've got to believe it could happen to make it possible.
      All this talk about stimulating the economy, creating real jobs and reducing emissions, is just talk.
      It should be given serious consideration given the current economic crisis but no one's talking about it.

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