Suffolk 2017 ~ Transport

The Conservative County Council has cut bus services, including Park and Ride, with little regard to the effect that this has on people's lives. Older people now find that their leisure activities are curtailed; those visiting friends or relations in hospital find that this is much more difficult or impossible. Young people in work find their travel times extended or unreliable and those in education find their choices severely curtailed. Everyone suffers from congestion and the environment is damaged if roads are crammed with cars.

On the matter of Community Transport and Concessionary Fares, Liberal Democrats will:

• Ensure community transport provides the journeys people need in areas with little if any scheduled public transport. We will make sure that concessionary bus passes can be used on these services.
• Allow people with concessionary passes to get on a bus at any time, using all the concessionary fares grant from government.
• Extend free transport for 16 to 19 years old to allow them to get to colleges, apprenticeships and their first place of work.

For Park and Ride services, Liberal Democrats will:

• Maintain an effective Ipswich Park and Ride system, reducing congestion and pollution, and benefiting town centre shops and businesses.
• Protect the through ticket to the hospital and rail station.
• Subsidise the existing service to make it more frequent during peak hours and re-examine the Bury Road Park and Ride closure.