A move to fare-free public transport would not only be good for working people, it would also be good for the planet.

That is the message from Devon Watson, the spokesman for the Fare Free Campaign, which wants the island’s bus service to operate free of charge on all routes.

The campaign cites the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report which outlined key changes society has to take to avoid ’catastrophic’ results of climate change.

One of the key aspects of the report included a change in our transportation habits from cars to mass transport such as trains, trams and buses. On the island this would see a larger number of people using the island’s bus network.

Mr Watson said when he speaks to the public about the campaign, they are ’overwhelmingly positive’.

He added: ’In general people have been taught that you can’t ask for anything new, the set amount of government services is generally done, so for example we’ve got fire service and the police.

’We need new government programmes to deal with new problems that face the country.’

Mr Watson said that the campaign was not for the heritage railway lines, rather they are focussing on the bus network.

Earlier this year, the target bus revenue was confirmed as £4,028,857 for the 2019/20 financial year. During the debate on free buses in May, Ayre and Michael MHK Tim Baker said the idea was ’simplistic’.

And Department of Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer said that, while his department would look at ’innovative’ ideas, the loss of income would need to be found somehow and ’that at the moment, that currently is not feasible’.

However Mr Watson said this shouldn’t be the only consideration and pointed out that government can ’find the money when it wants to’.

He said: ’The government has the remarkable ability to only look at costs when it relates to policies that would benefit the working and middle classes. When they spent £126m on buying the Steam Packet, there was no outcry.

’The money is there, it would be a stimulus to the working families and the elderly who use the bus service.

excludes

’At the moment we have an entire transport network built around cars which excludes the old, the young and those who can’t afford the day to day running of a car.’

And he noted that the money not spent on bus fares would be spent in the local economy and lead to higher tax returns for the government.

Mr Watson said that the campaign also supports the active travel programme and they want to see more green buses in the island, but says it has to be done quicker to make real change.

It had been suggested that electric buses would not suit the island due to the diverse range of bus services and hilly terrain. However, Mr Watson said the campaign rejects this entirely.

He added: ’There are 460,000 electric buses operating around the world and China has about 420,000 of them, including in hilly places.

’Unless the government is suggesting the laws of physics are different here to the rest of the world, they are barking up the wrong tree.’

It is understood that a review of the island’s bus and road network will come after Professor James Curran, who is leading the climate emergency consultative transformation team, has delivered his report which is due before January’s Tynwald.

Examiner comment: See page 18.