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Gordon Brown gives Leeds commuters fresh hope VIDEO
PRIME Minister Gordon Brown has offered fresh hope that plans for a congestion-busting trolley bus scheme in Leeds could win Government support.
During a visit to Leeds Mr Brown told the Yorkshire Evening Post that the Government was keen to invest in public transport and was doing a lot of work on the Leeds proposal.
With a population of nearly 750,000, Leeds is regarded as the powerhouse of the regional economy and increased investment in public transport is seen as a key priority to help it maintain its success.
There was dismay when Leeds missed out on Government money for a supertram system and the 300m trolley bus system has been put forward as an alternative.
But fears have been raised that the city could again miss out because of the Government's need to invest huge sums in the London Olympics.
And there was a further transport blow this week when it was revealed that 182 extra rail carriages due to be used on the Northern Rail franchise – which has services in Yorkshire – could be reduced to no more than 106.
Asked how confident Leeds should be about winning Government support for the trolley bus, Mr Brown said: "We are doing a huge amount of work on it.
"We want to see public transport in Leeds improved and we know there are issues of congestion. We are keen to invest in a public transport scheme."
Mr Brown also offered Yorkshire the hope of improved rail services.
He said: "There is more investment going into railways now and there will be more investment in the future."
He hoped that investment would mean better rail carriages for the region.
Earlier this week the Government announced it was to pump an extra 1.5bn into building more social housing across the country.
In Leeds there are about 30,000 people on the council house waiting list and, with hundreds of people quite often bidding for just one council property, some critics say the extra spending is long over due.
But Mr Brown defended the Government's housing record saying it had built 300,000 social homes, helped 1m more people become owner occupiers and repaired one million homes that were sub-standard.
The Prime Minister was in Leeds as part of a three-day tour of the regions.
After an impromptu visit to a fish stall in Kirkgate Market, he went to the Radisson Hotel for a meeting with the business leaders to discuss region's investment needs and how the country can best emerge from the recession. He later visited a community library in Sherburn.
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
