UK:OK

Our competitors in Europe have lower rail fares and better protection for cyclists.
Housing is more available and cheaper so workers keep more of their wages.
Please support the campaign for affordable homes to make the UK competitive
for international business with a properly housed and comfortable workforce.


In the UK business and government is forced to waste billions of pounds on cars
and so our costs are higher than those of our competitors. This cannot continue !
We need urgently to bring back British Rail and compete properly with Deutsche Bahn
so that UK business can compete on a level playing field with 50 pounds as the maximum fare.
Because in Germany 64 euros is the maximum fare with a Bahn Card. In Holland there
is a maximum fare of 19 euros. In the UK a fare can easily be one thousand pounds !!!
Clearly we must reduce transport costs and make cycling totally safe (as in Holland).
The minimum wage and benefits are higher over there too, so the present Tory ideas
of reducing benefits and wages are absolutely the wrong way. We must change !!!!
Lib Dem councils do a great job of promoting the work life balance and providing
public transport for all. Therefore the quality of life in Lib Dem council areas is excellent.
Transport for everyone = assess to all transport.
All the trains must be at exactly the same level as
the platforms and there must be lifts and ramps
for access to all platforms because everyone
has the right to use all public transport.
Please see the link to mobility and access for all.

Providing transport for all is a central policy objective because nobody should
ever have to "rough it" public transport needs to be accessible to everyone and
we still have a long way to go. Wheelchair users need to be able to independently
board any bus, train, boat, tram and this needs commitment from all of us.
At some time in our lives we will all have mobility needs so steps and other
obstacles (like gaps between the train and platform) need removing.
People using wheelchairs should be given free use of cars adapted to enable mobility.
At the same time many people who currently drive are quite able to pay more for
driving and car use needs to be charged for according to the damage they do.
Crossing roads is very dangerous in too many places and speed limits too high.
So we need to move toward more democratic transport available to everyone.
I propose democratising the roads, so local councils can raise revenue by congestion
charging and road tolls could raise up to 100 billion pounds annually.
There is no need for any cutbacks in benefits or public transport.
We could achieve a balanced budget by fair means and improve society too.
Making motoring reflect the true cost to the community (noise, accidents, pollution etc.)
can fairly raise all we need. Heavy, dangerous, metal, fosil fuel cars should pay more.
With small, safe, 20 mph electric buggies (subsidized by the government)
we can link the public transport network to every front door.
So it is possible to be a truly green motorist with 100 percent solar powered vehicles.
We can make Britain green again and more competitive in renewable energy
and transport. The Lib Dems are are the good side of Government and we would WIN
a majority in the next parliament if we are true to ourselves and serve everybody.
This is because we Lib Dems are for a fair balance of work and family life and for sustainability. I believe we should promote our excellent (and getting better) UK public transport system for everyone as our top priority which appeals to all voters.
With the safest roads in the world, a healthy work / life balance and transport for all
there will be more economic growth and more spending so nobody will have to endure
any cutbacks. With Lib Dem policies the UK can lead the world with sustainable prosperity for everyone and a better society with no more road accidents.

The key requirements for public transport to be accessible for everyone:

Reasonable fares that everyone can afford
Short sliding step (almost no gap remains)
Disabled WC facilities
Audio customer information
Ten wheelchair spaces in 1st class and 20 spaces in 2nd class
Registration in advance is not needed - just roll on and off independently
At seat Service of drinks and food for all wheelchair users
Connections are well timed so there is time to change platforms for connecting trains
Bus and boat connections all with low floors and no gaps or steps
Wheelchairs have first priority in case of overcrowding, then pushchairs, then bikes
Travel guaranteed, in case of disruptions wheelchair friendly taxis to be paid for by the railway