New research for Greener Journeys by independent analysts at KPMG LLP has stated that for every pound spent on local bus infrastructure, up to £7 of benefits for local businesses, communities and the environment can be generated.
The research stated that carefully planned bus priority measures, such as bus lanes, busway schemes and better interchange systems to speed up journeys, when implemented in the correct places and properly enforced, deliver significant local benefits such as cutting pollution and journey times.
By evaluating existing schemes across the UK, the study found that every £1 spent on local bus infrastructure delivered between £4.67 and £6.94 of benefits to users, non-users and the wider economy.
Research by Peter White, Professor Emeritus of Public Transport Systems at the University of Westminster, for Greener Journeys, also found that effective bus priority measures can deliver up to 75% fewer emissions per passenger per km. By encouraging more people to leave their car at home, the corresponding reduction in congestion would reduce the £11bn per year which it is claimed congestion costs the economy.
The findings are brought together in Roadmap to Growth, a new framework in which outlines the ways in which Greener Journeys advises on how local decision makers and government can maximise the contribution of buses to our society and economy. The framework calls for the provision of enhanced and consistent guidance to local decision makers on the evaluation of transport schemes.
The research includes a case study on Fastway in West Sussex. It stated that despite the scheme costing £38m, exceeding its original budget of £23.9m by a considerable amount, it had brought £4.67 of wider economic benefits per £1 spent
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The full report can be read at https://tinyurl.com/p64dh88
