Save our Buses says National Campaigning Charity

SAVE OUR BUSES is a campaign aiming to highlight the threat to local bus services across the country. Bus users are facing service cuts and rising fares says the Campaign for Better Transport  (CBT) who have organised the Save our Buses campaign to protest at Government plans to cut the funding it gives to local authorities for public transport, putting many local buses in jeopardy.

The Bus Service Operators Grant gives funding to local bus operators which lets them operate more services at lower fares than would otherwise be the case. This will be reduced by at least 20%  - 28% says the CBT - by 2012-13. The cuts are aimed at reducing the national budget deficit.

The CBT argues that this action by central Government will damage the local bus network affecting the thousands of people who rely on buses every day to travel to work, schools and shops. Without this network we would all live in a less economically active and less fair society.

According to the CBT, in the East Riding, transport funding was cut by nearly £3 million in 2010/11 and free early morning travel for bus pass holders scrapped in July 2010. They have set a target of £1m cuts over the next 4 years and they plan to make savings of £7,000 in the transport budget in 2011/12.

The CBT is asking people to write to their Member of Parliament to make the case for local bus services to be protected:

"MPs are there to represent their constituents, and as the bus cuts start to bite it's time to turn up the pressure. Please write to your MP and ask them to support a Parliamentary motion (Early Day motion 1986) urging the Government to recognise the value of buses."

Those wishing to contact our local MP Graham Stuart about supporting the Early Day Motion can contact him via his website www.grahamstuart.com

Jasmine Chahal of the CBT has submitted a series of Freedom of Information requests asking the East Riding Council to clarify its position regarding bus and public transport provision in the East Riding in 2011. Progress with these requests can be followed at WhatDoTheyKnow.com - East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

Additional Sources: Department for Transport