It is relevant, anyone that tried to cut public transport in London would not be popular at the next election. Public transport in London is well used..
Public transport outside of London is well used and yes, those who cut it would also suffer at the ballot box.
This isn't a dictatorship. It's this type of attitude that gets quite a few people against politicians.
Would you let these individuals have a veto over what the democratically elected Council decides? That is a very perverse version of democracy if I may say so.
Then why on earth would you allow Central Government to force such a position over the head of locally elected politicians who are capable of making that decision.
At the end of the day they are still using taxpayers money, locally or nationally elected and still have to face the electorate.
That is why local Councillors are qualified to make these decisions
Are they actually legally prevented from doing so? If not then as I said above, it would be seen as a waste of taxpayers money.
Yes they are, and one of the other things Local Authorities can't do is use profitable routes to cross-subsidise less profitable ones, meaning that the whole system ends up more expensive than the previously regulated system.
As I have said time and time again, If taxpayers are as likely to see a regulated system as a waste of money as you think, why not let them express it to their Councillors through the ballot box ?
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I'd still only use the train
Can't say as I'd blame you !
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How many other cities have a suburban rail network on the scale of London though? Many have very little and so have to rely on buses. With the exception of London Overground, railways are franchised in the same way both in London and elsewhere so there is no difference here. The approaches to London on many lines are four tracks so the capacity for extra trains is available. Elsewhere suburban trains have to share tracks with intercity services so the capacity simply isn't there.
I'm sorry - you're completely losing me with your argument.
First you say trains can't possibly be compared to buses because they are faster - justifying your insinuation that buses outside London aren't well used. Then you say that London has a vast suburban network and other Cities very little - which to my mind should lead to buses outside of London being comparatively more popular in Cities outside London