In the third episode of John Ware's series on transport during the Blair years - which the Transport Select Committee Chairman has described as " a terrible picture of failure"- he charts the decline of the bus to show just how far the government has yet to travel to create a truly integrated transport system in which we use our cars less, and our own two feet and public transport more.  | ARE WE THERE YET? Tuesday 20 March 2007 1930 GMT, BBC Two |
The bus is the mainstay of our public transport system but passengers continue to defect to cars.
When in 2000, the Chancellor was confronted by a blockade of petrol depots by tanker drivers, he abandoned the fuel escalator - the annual above-inflation increase in fuel duty - which the Tories had introduced to slow down traffic growth.
This helps explain why the overall cost of motoring has remained below 1980 levels in real terms.
But by 2005, bus and coach fares were 42% higher than in 1980.
Ware surveys the situation in Sheffield, Manchester and London.
He says more bus lanes will have to be provided in urban conurbations together with road pricing if the government is to create enough space for the bus to revive.
Buses, coaches, light rail and network rail may need to expand by as much as 50% to absorb just a 5% switch in demand from cars caused by road pricing.
Episode three of Are We There Yet? will be broadcast on Tuesday, 20 March, 2007 at 1930 GMT on BBC Two.
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