Letter: How would a free bus service work?

Mike Smith is spot-on when he talks about the benefits of a free public transport system (Star letters, August 6).

It would allow all of us, including the poorest, to get about; it would encourage us to leave our cars at home, free up our roads, clean our air and save the NHS millions in reduced illness.

People would have more money to spend and the local economy would benefit.

Life would be better for everyone, above all for people who have to use their own vehicle because their journey time would be cut in half with most people using the bus.

Yes, free public transport is a no-brainer.

But are free bus services realistic in view of the current political situation? How would it work?

Would South Yorkshire mayor, Dan Jarvis simply pay the bus operators the cost of running the buses?

Even in 1984, when we still had cheap fares, South Yorkshire councils gave the buses an annual subsidy of £80 million – something like £280 million a year in today’s money.

Where does Jarvis get that sort of money from?

This Conservative government?!

Maybe we should just take over the bus services?

Sadly, this is against the law at the moment, and I don't see the Tories ever changing the law to allow it.

Even if public ownership of buses were legal, presumably the new law would force Dan Jarvis to pay the operators for the buses and compensate for loss of earnings.

Just to pay for the buses in South Yorkshire, I guess Mr Jarvis would need a minimum of £150m.

Again, where is that money coming from?

I really wish free buses were a viable option. But until we remove the Tory government, bus franchising, as they have in London, is the only realistic improvement… and even that will be financially risky.