Published on February 3rd, 2011 |
by The Editor
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Country bus by Elsie esq. on flickr"]
Image ©
With raising prices at the pumps and an increase in bus fares, there's enough hassle and cost involved in getting from A to B, and now for the most vulnerable in society the only viable way to travel may be on foot.
The campaign for better transport (CBT) has said that over two thirds of councils in England were planning major cuts to their bus budgets. They have launched the Save Our Buses campaign in a bid to fight against the cuts, which could result in the loss of rural bus routes and a reduction in concessionary fares.
The CBT Chief executive Stephen Joseph has said “We believe any short term gain will be outweighed by the long term cost of a vastly depleted bus network. These unprecedented cuts will be especially disastrous for people on low incomes and could effectively mean the death of rural bus services.”
The campaign has contacted councils up and down the country and have found that 13 councils plan to slash £1m from there bus budget.
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The most needy count the cost of austerity as free bus service face axe
With raising prices at the pumps and an increase in bus fares, there’s enough hassle and cost involved in getting from A to B, and now for the most vulnerable in society the only viable way to travel may be on foot.
The campaign for better transport (CBT) has said that over two thirds of councils in England were planning major cuts to their bus budgets. They have launched the Save Our Buses campaign in a bid to fight against the cuts, which could result in the loss of rural bus routes and a reduction in concessionary fares.
The CBT Chief executive Stephen Joseph has said “We believe any short term gain will be outweighed by the long term cost of a vastly depleted bus network. These unprecedented cuts will be especially disastrous for people on low incomes and could effectively mean the death of rural bus services.”
The campaign has contacted councils up and down the country and have found that 13 councils plan to slash £1m from there bus budget.
Country bus by Elsie esq. on flickr
The Local Government Association (LGA) has also raised concerns over concessionary travel.
Peter Box chairman of the LGA economy and transport board has said “We have always argued that it should not be the local taxpayers or council services that suffer because central funding is not keeping up with demand for free bus passes”
In response the government has defended its decision over the cuts.
Transport minister Norman Barker has said ‘Nearly 80 per cent of bus services outside London are commercially run so don’t rely on direct funding from councils. There has been no cut in the financial support we provide for these services this year. I accept that the funding settlement for local authorities from DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) is challenging. It’s good to see some councils are approaching this imaginatively, finding savings in procurement and council officers’ salaries However some are just reaching for the axe
The coalition is undergoing major cuts in spending which will effects society, however the most vulnerable in society still need protecting. With the restriction of free bus passes or the loss of rural services getting people into work will be that much more harder.
Click here for the interactive map showing bus routes
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