Daniel Zeichner MP Standing up for Cambridge
Daniel Zeichner MP responds to the Government’s announcements on real time bus information, timed to co-incide with Catch The Bus Week, branding the government’s proposals “old news”.
The government have this week put out a press release explaining their aims to give passengers more information through real-time data driven updates, and better audio-visual announcements to improve the service for disabled passengers
Mr Zeichner, a former Shadow Transport Minister and current member of the Transport Select Committee, comments “The government’s announcements this week is just recycled from last year’s Bus Services Act 2017. The government already have the ability to demand data from bus companies, and to set standards for audio-visual communications – they were in the bus Bill that I worked on last year as the Labour spokesperson on buses.”
“The Government needs to admit that its run out of ideas on buses, which shows how out of touch they are. The last thing we need is more consultation – we need real action, to improve these services. While they’re busy stalling on this, Labour’s policies of bus franchising around the country and free bus travel for under-25s would revolutionise public transport.”
The Government’s press release detailed that Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani was to visit Reading Buses, to launch a consultation on “legally requiring bus operators to share their data so that passengers can get real time information” and “making companies provide audio and visual information on buses”, both policy areas covered in the Bus Services Act 2017.