Action Briefing Dec 2003 - Jan 2004
	The Newsletter of Birmingham Friends of the Earth

Letters: Dear Action Briefing . . .

As the fourth richest country, we can comfortably fund free bus fares for retired workers. How about spending some of our wealth on the workers who help run UK plc by giving free bus fares for all in the rush hours? Get them to park and ride from home (not a green field car park) and bus them all into work in more buses but many more fewer cars, and so reduce congestion.

As an inducement, as compensation for deserting their precious cars and to reward them, they have to be bussed in for free. Even then, some of them are so wedded and welded to their cars, they would never try a bus, even if you gave them all the coffers in the Chancellor’s car kitty!

Advantages to society as a whole, I think, are these:

1. It saves money, resources and time. It is economically efficient;
   
2. It has less impact on the local, national and international environment;
   
3. It slows resource depletion;
   
4. Fewer greenhouse gases are emitted, so less climate change;
   
5. No loss of land to more roads and vehicles;
   
6. Motorists see something for their money, gain financially and save time. Excellent psychology!
   
7. The scheme is pro-motorist, not anti car.
   
8. Some taxes from motorists should reward them for parking and riding from home. This is good psychology;
   
9. Bus showcase is now incorporating road widening schemes, a new departure. Originally, bus lanes were to take one lane off motorists and, in exchange, gave them a quicker ride into work if they used the bus, instead;
   
10. Development of a Metro network adds to the pressure for road widening.
    

For more than two decades, Metro has kept trains off rail lines in Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall! Trees and open space are being lost in the £15 million Hagley Road bus priority scheme that is actually partial road widening to make way for Metro trams, in due course, on an already over-congested road.

Tim Weller, Halesowen