IT is strange writing this with the backdrop of the increasing incompetency of the UK Government and the brutal intransigence of its Spanish counterparts. However, life goes on, as they say, and not just the wheels of industry need to be kept turning, but also the wheels on the bus taking folk to work need to be kept rolling.

This brings me to the suggestion that buses be restricted before private cars in the low emission zones which will be coming to an urban hotspot near us all. Of course, many old diesel buses belch out appalling fumes and despite the vast improvement on new builds, there remain problems with particulates that harm everyone. Low emission zones are needed not just for councils to meet legal requirements but to protect the health of us all. So, come they will.

However, it seems to many, not just but bus operators, that buses are also part of the solution, whereas the private car is not. Why then penalise the public service rather than the private problem? The real issue in our town and city centres is too many private cars, not too many buses. Indeed, more people will moan of too few of them or that they’re too pricey. The same applies to rail services, though it’s an option unavailable to many.

There’s a problem in our cities and major towns with emissions and from all combustion engines – not just diesel ones. Moreover, it cannot wait until electric cars come over the hill like a latter-day cavalry, for there’s also the wider problem of having habitable communities and enjoyable civic space. The overwhelming majority of emissions, after all, come from private cars, not public transport.

Commuting is blighted far more by congestion than by engine emissions but that is not being tackled. Yet it remains the key issue and offers a solution. The improvements on the M8 and A9 are to be welcomed but are a different issue from accessing urban centres. Road construction there is neither available nor a solution. Getting people out of their cars and on to public transport is therefore essential for us economically, as well as environmentally.

A recent car journey to the southside of Glasgow highlighted that for me. The new improvements on the M8 were welcome but it took as long getting out of Edinburgh as it did for the rest of the route. This is why why going to the city centre in Edinburgh or Glasgow I invariably go by bus, train or on foot. Never mind that finding a parking space is hard to find and the cost eye-watering .

Of course, some will say that the bus service is too costly or too poor and in that there may well be merit. But, for national and local authorities to improve the quality of service there needs to be funds not just regulation, which is a separate issue. Public cash is tight and there’s none available to subsidise further or enhance more without impacting on already strained health or education services. Nor can it come from the fare box without being counterproductive and putting more back into private cars.

So new money that can enhance bus services in both quality and frequency needs to be found. Park and rides have in the main worked well and express routes likewise. But, to provide more carrot, there needs to be a bit of stick. Commuters need to realise that there’s a cost to taking the private car, not just in fuel and insurance but in using urban space. That’s why workplace parking taxes need to be imposed by councils and even inner-city congestion charging brought in with all funds hypothecated to improve public transport.

There can be no service improvement without revenue resource and there will be no shift without a bit of a push. So, tax and spend is the solution for a healthier and economically enhanced environment. Some will squeal, but what is being sought is the norm in many European capitals. Congestion charging in Edinburgh was rightly rejected many years ago as it was an insane catchment size. However, a smaller and centralised area as in London has been shown to be viable and beneficial.

Whether it’s extending the tram service in Edinburgh, increasing the subway in Glasgow or simply enhancing the bus services in both then funds are needed. Lessons need to be learned, if we want our urban centres to be nice places to work, live and even just walk in. Rather than just envying many European cities, we need to copy them.

Shopping streets have enhanced cities but put increased pressure on adjacent byways. Public transport is competing with private cars for limited road space and the loser is us all, as congestion increases and the environment deteriorates. The private car can no longer be sacrosanct and the solution requires both carrot and stick.