Dear Horsforth Resident

I attach a leaflet containing some useful information about bus services in Horsforth, and a fridge magnet that will help you to keep it handy.

We are sending this information to a number of households in Horsforth as part of a campaign to alert residents to some good news about bus services in the area. We are doing this in the light of recent research by the University of Leeds, which showed that many residents are unaware of what buses have to offer.

If you haven't used Horsforth's bus services recently you may not know that there is now a more frequent service using new, more comfortable, buses and that the drivers have had special customer-care training. You may also not be aware that you have the option of using one of a wide range of advance-purchase tickets, which can save you time and money.

The research, by the University's Institute for Transport Studies, also suggested that motorists have an over-rosy picture of journeys bv car.

Key findings from the research included the  following:

• people with regular experience of Horsforth buses have much more positive opinions about their fares, journey times and customer care than people who don't have this experience;
• most car drivers underestimate the true cost of motoring - many forget to include the full running costs (petrol, parking, wear-and-tear) let alone the annual costs of insurance, tax, depreciation, maintenance, etc.
• many drivers are unaware that they may get cheaper insurance if they use their cars less;
• many drivers underestimate their door-to door journey times and don't include the time needed for de-icing or demisting, the time needed to find a parking place and then walk to the final destination, the time it takes whenever they need to fill up with petrol and the time wasted in slow moving traffic and jams;
• increased traffic congestion is making driving more and more stressful.

The attached leaflet should help you to avoid the stress of the car and take advantage of Horsforth's bus services- please keep it handy!

Yours faithfully,

Michael Keane

Assistant Director. Customer Services