FREdome

My idea is that buses to the town centre in Watford should have reduced fares on weekends to encourage people to use public transport. If the price of a bus ticket was a flat rate of a pound from any bus-stop in Watford, more teenagers and adults would want to get the bus into the Harlequin shopping centre over the weekend when shopping centres are at their busiest.

The Harlequin Centre in Watford is visited by over 17 million customers a year and has extensive parking facilities, with an estimated 15 million cars driving into the town centre a year! In Watford town centre there are 10 allocated bus stops which serve the Harlequin Centre which, I wish, to serve the one pound fare project too. In a recent survey, it was approximated that private vehicles accounted for 9% of all man-made emissions, yet with lower bus fares people would rediscover the benefits of getting a bus.

Using public transport can bring a number of benefits to the local town; for one it reduces congestion during busy weekends, it lessens air pollution because less carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere as less cars are on the road. It would reduce noise pollution and travel time for all. Public transport also takes the stress out of driving longer distances. Also busses are cconvenient, following a set schedule, plus a bus is cheaper than many car journeys if a single bus ticket only costs one pound.

Although the owners of the car park may not be happy with the loss of profit, this idea may compel them to reduce the car park fees to a reasonable amount for those who are unable to use public transport.

Adele

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