Would park and ride schemes, cheaper bus fares or a Leeds underground system help deliver better transport for the city during the next 25 years?
Those were some of the suggestions to come from city councillors on today's city development scrutiny board meeting at Leeds Civic Hall.
Suggestions came as Metro presented a report to the meeting detailing its recently launched public consultation into the future of transport over the next 15 years.
Burmantofts and Richmond Hill Liberal Democrat councillor Ralph Pryke said that Leeds needed a 'plan C' in case its stalled trolleybus scheme didn't get government backing - and suggested park and ride schemes at the edge of the city as a potential solution. He said:
"It would be great if we could encourage people to leave their cars on the outskirts of the city. If we had park and ride sites at Grimes Dyke and Stourton they would be cost-effective and we wouldn't just be waiting for a trolleybus scheme that might never come. We do need to be looking at alternatives to trolleybus, I'm afraid."
Harewood Conservative Matthew Robinson said that a consituent had recently asked him why places like Newcastle and Glasgow had underground rail networks, while Leeds didn't. Robinson added: "I don't understand it myself."
Wetherby Conservative John Procter said that he would be in favour of a scheme similar to 'Boris bikes' - a large-scale public bike hire scheme in London backed by mayor Boris Johnson - being implemented in Leeds. He added:
"I think they are a great idea - you just pop in your cash and grab a bike, we should look at them for Leeds."
Procter also said that talk of Metro taking greater control of the buses through the introduction of a Quality Bus Contract scheme was welcome, but said that talks had been going on for a couple of years and didn't seem to be progressing.
Fertile ground for 'Boris bikes'?
Representatives from Metro appeared to open the door for a 'Boris bikes' scheme and that the public consultation could prove 'fertile ground' for such ideas - but how soon such a scheme could be implemented depended on funding.
They also said a lot of work was going on behind the scenes regarding legal issues and the 'complicated legislation' surrounding Quality Bus Contracts and that there would be an 'inevitable legal battle' over its implementation.
Regarding park and ride, Metro said road improvements would be needed to deliver such schemes, so buses ferrying passengers could avoid getting stuck in traffic at bottlenecks and that an attractive package would have to be delivered to bus companies, but said the issue would be revisited.
Bus fare concerns
Hyde Park and Woodhouse Labour councillor Javaid Akhtar said bus fares in Leeds were too high. He said:
"I find taxis the cheapest option to get to the city centre. From where I live, it costs £1.90 on the bus - if I'm bringing the family, it's cheaper to bring my family in a taxi, where it costs £3.60. It's an issue that needs addressing - but taxis also need greater recognition for the role they play in Leeds."
Labour Kirkstall councillor Bernard Atha said:
"People in Kirkstall are very short-changed with buses - there often aren't the necessary services and older people often spend £7 or £8 to get to the doctors or to do their shopping because the bus services just aren't there."
Liberal Democrat Rothwell councillor Steve Smith said he had looked at using buses for the day to get from Rothwell to the Civic Hall and then to two community meetings. He added:
"It took me 35 minutes in the car - but would have taken me three hours by public transport. There's clearly an issue there.
"If you're coming in to Leeds on an evening and you go to the theatre or the cinema, you face at best a a jog to catch the last bus after it's finished. There's no chance of staying around for a socialble drink afterwards. My last train is 10.37pm when the pubs don't close until 11pm."
Pudsey Labour councillor Josephone Jarosz said that any agreement to improve bus services in Leeds would have to have the support of the bus companies.
Consultation available online
Branded 'My Journey West Yorkshire', the plan is designed to support the area's transport needs and ambitions by setting out priorities for improving local road, bus, rail, walking and cycling networks.
The consultation runs until 17 December 2010. In January 2011, there will be further consultation on the first three-year plan for 2011-14, which will set out initial actions for delivering the Strategy in more detail.
To take part in the consultation online, visit www.wyltp.com and follow the links.
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