Call to improve public transport in Britain's cities » Communities » 24dash.com

Public transport needs to be improved in cities across Britain as an important "lifeline" to jobs and services as the country heads into a recession, a new report urged today.

Research group Centre for Cities cited the example of London, where bus use has boomed in recent years, compared with other areas where passenger numbers have stagnated or even fallen, including Merseyside and South Yorkshire.

One of the problems is the "confusing and inconvenient" nature of bus travel outside the capital, with West Yorkshire alone having 37 separate operators and 88 different ticket types, said the report.

The group urged other regions to follow London's example of using Oyster-style integrated travel tickets.

Adam Marshall, head of policy at the Centre for Cities, said: "Over the past three decades Labour and Conservative governments alike have failed to turn around public transport in Britain's big urban areas, and city residents have increasingly opted for the car.

"Except in London, transport in most British cities remains fragmented and unco-ordinated. This is a big problem in today's tough economic climate as public transport is a lifeline to work and services.

"Cities like Newcastle and Liverpool need their own Oyster-style travel card if they're to persuade people back on to buses - and help residents stay in work."

A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: "We believe that good local transport is vital.

"That is why the Local Transport Bill, which is close to completing its passage through Parliament, equips local authorities with ways to plan and deliver tailored transport systems suited to local needs, as they know what is important to their residents.

"This includes powers to set up new integrated transport authorities, improving the integration and co-ordination of transport across local authority boundaries.

"The Bill will enable stronger, more effective partnership working between local authorities and bus operators, and will make quality contracts schemes (ie London-style franchising) a more realistic option for local authorities where this is in the public interest."