WHAT IF … WE HAD THE RIGHT TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT?

Public transport is rarely an election issue, and politicians know that big schemes like Britain's High Speed 2 train line – recently truncated to a shuttle between West London and Birmingham – will always grab headlines in a way that rural bus services won't.

Many of those who rely the most on public transport are living on the margins of society, and they are less likely to have the voting and lobbying power required to influence the corridors of power. And when large-scale improvements are made, they are often quickly undone.