SARAH CARR CAMPAIGNS FOR BETTER BUS SERVICES

3.25.57pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 10th Jun 2008

Sarah Carr and the Lib Dems want to know what people think of public tranport in the County.

Sarah Carr, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Hereford and South Herefordshire has experienced at first hand the daily challenges faced by Herefordshire bus users. On 3rd June, Sarah took a seven hour bus trip around South Herefordshire asking fellow passengers their opinions about how our local bus services can be improved.

Sarah, accompanied by Liberal Democrat Councillor Polly Andrews, took in bus routes in Hereford, Ross and villages such as Little Dewchurch, Peterstow, Clehonger and Kingstone.

Using a specially designed Herefordshire Bus Users' Survey, Sarah and Polly found two important areas were highlighted. Firstly, that Bus Users want more frequent buses and secondly that many buses finish far too early in the day some as early as 2.30 or 4pm making it difficult for people to get home.

Sarah Carr said,

"With the cost of driving shooting up, more people are keen to use local bus services. I will use the results of my Bus Users' survey to take up peoples' concerns with the bus companies and Herefordshire Council and to lobby for improvements to our local bus services. I am also delighted that on the same day the Liberal Democrats launched a radical new transport policy paper which includes measures to really boost our bus and rail services for the benefit of all passengers."

Following the bus trip Councillor Polly Andrews said,

"The vast majority of passengers today have been making good use of their senior citizens free bus pass. However, people of all ages have been keen to stress that the buses stop running too early."

The new Liberal Democrat transport policies were launched on 3rd June by Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg. The proposals include improving bus services by putting them under the control of local councils where bus companies have failed to provide improvements themselves; improving local rail services; and building a high speed rail network to cut journey times for longer distance travel.