Unite welcomes Labour commitment to reverse Tory bus cuts
Thursday, 25 April 2019 00:01
Unite, the UK and Ireland’s largest union, which represents
thousands of bus workers, has strongly welcomed a pledge by Labour
to reverse Tory cuts to bus services and invest in new routes.
The Campaign for Better Transport has found that
since 2010, over 3,000 bus routes have been cut or withdrawn as a
result of Tory cuts. Labour will create a Bus Transformation
Fund which will invest £1.3 billion a year into bus services, which
will more than reverse the £645...Request free trial
Unite, the UK and Ireland’s largest union, which represents
thousands of bus workers, has strongly welcomed a pledge by Labour
to reverse Tory cuts to bus services and invest in new routes.
The Campaign for
Better Transport has found that
since 2010, over 3,000 bus routes have been cut or withdrawn as a
result of Tory cuts.
Labour will create a Bus Transformation Fund which will
invest £1.3 billion a year into bus services, which will more than
reverse the £645 million a year real term cuts the Conservative
government has made to bus services since 2010.
The cut in bus routes has a devastating effect on rural
communities especially with vulnerable groups such as the elderly.
Since 2010 there has been a 10 per cent decrease in bus
passengers.
During the same period that bus services have been reduced,
bus fares have also increased by 32 per cent, well above the rate
of inflation.
Unite national officer for passenger transport, Bobby Morton,
said: “Bus services provide an essential lifeline for people
living in towns and rural communities.
“Labour’s commitment to invest in bus services is to be strongly
welcomed. As well as providing much needed employment it will help
to tackle the twin evils of poverty and isolation that takes hold
in communities when bus services are cut.
“Frequent and reliable bus services boost social mobility which
helps to expand the local economy and creates local employment
opportunities.”
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