A theoretical model which represents passenger and vehicular travel in the central area of London by the characteristics of the average main road has been used to estimate, in the central London situation (i) the effect of different fare levels (profit, breakeven, zero fares), (ii) the benefits which might result from restraint of non-bus traffic, (iii) the benefits from comprehensive bus lanes and (iv) combinations of (i) to (iii). benefits in this study relate mainly to changes in time and money costs of travel and do not include social and environmental aspects. The absolute values of the benefits predicted by this relatively simple model should be treated with caution, but it is believed that the model is able to provide a ranking of the different options. Where these options require substantial public expenditure, however, no account has been taken of the scarcity of available financial resources or of the competition between transport services and the many other demands on such limited funds. The results suggest that, under base year conditions (1968), the only benefits from free bus travel in conjunction with a fare-paying underground, would be the savings in administration and operational costs which are possible when tickets no longer have to be issued. A system of free bus and underground on the other hand is predicted to produce benefits of £17 m per year, valued at 1976 prices, of which £7 m arises from not having to issue tickets. These benefits are likely to be less than those for a fiscal restraint scheme, which the model estimates at #26 m per year, but the costs of implementing and running such a scheme would reduce this benefit by an amount which would be dependent on the type of restraint scheme chosen. The benefit obtained from reserved with-flow lanes for buses was found to be dependent on whether the priority lasted throughout the whole of the day or for just the peak periods, but under favourable circumstances could amount to about #4 m per annum for central London. A bus/taxi lane was estimated to be more beneficial than a bus-only lane in certain circumstances. Where restraint measures, bus lanes and free travel were used in combination, the net benefit was estimated to be rather less than the sum of the benefits from the individual elements. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting