Public Transport
5.23 Public transport can help lower pollution levels, reduce congestion and promote social inclusion. The Confederation of British Industry has estimated that congestion cost the UK economy more than £7 billion in 2001 and research indicates a strong link to productivity in the South West.
5.24 The previous sections have shown that a relatively small share of total journeys or kilometres travelled are undertaken using public transport and that public transport is used less often in the South West than nationally. Very little information is generally available about the use of public transport at the local level. However, the 2001 Census reveals that unsurprisingly use of public transport is largely concentrated in the urban areas (see map).
