You grill the Government - My car is a necessity, not a luxury

Q: I live in the countryside, miles from the nearest railway station, and I have to use my car frequently. Does the Government accept that many people will always have to rely on their cars?
Brenda Kerrell, Derbyshire

SL: Yes. Some people will always have to rely on a car to travel around. But not everyone in rural areas has access to a car all the time. We have provided significant additional funding specifically for rural bus services - over £450 million since 1998.

However local bus services in rural areas are not always the most practical solution, so we have explored other ways to meet the transport needs of those who live in rural areas.

For example we have made it easier to run flexible, demand responsive services, which run, in effect like a cross between a taxi and bus. These can provide the same, or better, levels of service than a normal bus while using fewer vehicles and drivers.