Government cuts threaten new demand-led bus service plan in South Glos
By SandraHurst1 | Sunday, January 31, 2010, 12:30
The Government plans to slash South Gloucestershire Council's bus budget by £340,000.
The financial year 2010/11 is the third year of a three year agreed funding plan by The Dept. for Transport to fund free bus travel for the elderly and disabled. South Glos already pays for the shortfall of £1.1 million between what the scheme costs and the amount it gets from The Dept. of Transport. South Glos is set to take the biggest bus spending cut outside of London, even though it is one of the lowest funded councils.
If South Glos. have to subsidise the concessionary travel scheme by a further £340,000 this could put in jeopardy plans for a new innovative, demand-led rural bus service that is being planned around this area.
One of the demand-led routes that was going to be tested started at Yate and ended at the Vue cinema at Cribs Causeway, stopping at: Chipping Sodbury,Wickwar, Charfield, Cromhall, Comhall Common, Tytherington, Thornbury, Alveston, Old Down, Olverston. Tockington, and Over.
The consultation period for the change in funding distribution ended at the end of last year. Cllr Brian Allinson, South Gloucestershire's executive member for transport, has said that it is important for the people of South Glos. to keep the pressure up against this unfair treatment of this area.
Sign the petition against the cuts at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/sglosbuscuts
Comments
This is typical of our government. We're all meant to be 'going green' and using public transport, and they slash the budget. The frequency and price of the buses around here make car use a necessity.
By fudgecake at 20:57 on 01/02/10
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