[matilda] Demonstration against First bus fare rises: an event worth supporting!

[dan thomas]

Maybe this is something we should be supporting,
though an 11am start for a to b march may not be
riveting stuff for some. It also looks like the
campaign, though imaginative, was started by the
Socialist party, but we should keep an open mind. I
for one, am very glad that local issues and 'bread and
butter' issues are becoming prominent again.    

audio



Demonstration against First bus fare rises

alistair tice | 09.11.2005 14:47 | Social Struggles |
Sheffield
"We Want Our Buses Back!" is a broad-based campaign
against bus fare rises and cuts in services. WWOBB has
called a protest demonstration for Saturday 19th
November, the day First implement their fourth fare
rise this year.The march assembles at 11am at City
Hall, Barkers Pool.

“We Want Our Buses Back!” (WWOBB) has called a
demonstration against the bus fares hike being
introduced by South Yorkshire First on Saturday 19th
November.(see box for details)

Pressure is mounting for First to be sacked after they
announced a fourth fares rise this year. Lobbied by
WWOBB protestors, Sheffield Council leader Jan Wilson
retorted “I want our buses back, too!” Three days
later, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority
(SYPTA) passed a unanimous vote of no confidence in
First’s management. Even the Lib-Dems have called for
First to have their licence withdrawn – only to be
replaced by another private operator (who would also
put profit before passengers).

That’s the problem. Despite a lot of huffing and
puffing, because of Tory de-regulation and the New
Labour government continuing with privatisation for 8
years, the PTA and Council are almost powerless to do
anything.

The transport workers’ union is pressing for Quality
Bus Contracts to be introduced so the council could
set fares, routes and frequencies (a form of
regulation, similar to London buses). But Jan Wilson
says Quality Contracts are a very difficult thing to
achieve and no other council has done it yet.

WWOBB, a broad-based campaign, supports this demand
but goes further calling for renationalisation of
public transport, a policy supported by 90% of people
we talk to.

WWOBB is gaining increasing influence due to our high
profile campaigning work, gaining invites to speak at
the TGWU branch and Pensioners Action Group, as well
as onto the local radio question time programme.

Council cabinet member for transport, Terry Fox, will
attend WWOBB’s next campaign meeting, no doubt to tell
us he’s on our side, but 
. . That’s the point though.
Unless these councillors make a stand against
privatisation and their own Labour government, their
outrage at First’s profiteering is just so much hot
air.

WWOBB will ask them to march with us on the 19th, but
either way, we will keep putting First, the council
and government under pressure until we get our buses
back.

We Want Our Buses Back! (WWOBB)

Who we are:
WWOBB is a campaign group set up after the last fare
rises and cuts in bus services in July this year.
Thatcher’s deregulation and privatisation in 1987 has
led to private operators like ‘First’ gaining a near
monopoly and putting profit before passengers. They
raise fares and cut services without any regulation.
“We want our buses back” where services have been axed
or reduced.
And “We want our buses back” into public control and
ownership.

What we’ve done:
· Organised public meetings like in Meersbrook where
the No.8 and No.49 buses were cut
· Got 3,000 signatures on our petition
· Petitioned and spoken at Sheffield City Council
meeting
· Lobbied the Bus Commission
· Protested to local government minister at Sheffield
First City
Strategy launch

alistair tice
- e-mail: wewantourbusesback at hotmail.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.wewantourbusesback.com

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Comments
Great

10.11.2005 11:39
This is a great campaign.

Many people probably don't remember the bus service in
Sheffield in the 80s. It was fantastic. The fare from
Hunter's bar into town was 4p!! There was a free bus
service that did a circle route of the city centre. A
lot more people used the buses which meant there were
more of them which meant there was usually one every
few minutes so virtually no waiting. This also had the
effect of much less traffic on the roads too.

Some years ago I spoke to a Sheffield policeman about
the buses. He said at the time didn't agree with the
subsidised buses paid for by rate payers. However
after seeing the massive increase in traffic since
deregulation and privatisation he had changed his mind
and thought that cheap fares should be brought back.

Cheap or even free public transport is the way to go
for reduced traffic and reduced pollution.

steve 


		
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