Lestle Fleming aT 09 August 2013 12:40 Bus Bill lain Gray's Bus Bill pee ‘Yes, I certainly support the general aim of Iain Gray's proposed Bill, and the recent difficulties at First Bus make the Bill timely and urgent. To prevent cherrypicking by contractors it is a good idea to bundle profitable and unprofitable routes in urban and suburban areas, and regulation is necessary to ensure that the Traffic Commissioners hold operators to their contracts. In remote areas it is important that those without a car should not be disadvantaged, though for remote services to be affordable they would have to be subsidised. A subsidy is justified if it helps to sustain remote communities. The Bus Pass for pensioners gives them a valuable benefit, Greater use of services on low passenger volume routes can be achieved with more, not less, frequent services, Comfortable buses are much more attractive to the owners of comfortable cars. Privatisation of Royal Mail might make it desirable to extend the parcel service using local buses. Tim responding as an individual living in Gartmore where buses services to Stirling (15 miles) are quite good but very poor to Glasgow (20 miles) where many in the village work or go to university, There is no service on Sundays. Improved bus services are bound to improve equality if the buses are clean, comfortable and punctual, Lothian Buses provide a good model for urban transport and an income for their owners, Edinburgh Council. By contrast, Glasgow's bus services seem fragmented and might benefit from being run for SPT on the lines of Lothian Buses in a distinetive livery. The introduction of an Oyster-type paycard on all Scottish bus and train routes is planned by the Scottish Government, Such a paycard reduces city congestion by getting passengers on boad quicldy. It is a measure which cannot come soon enough. T wish Tain Gray's Bill all success in its passage through Parliament. Leslie Fleming It