Sheffield:
We want our buses back!
SHEFFIELD PEOPLE will march this Saturday to show their anger at
South Yorkshire First’s latest 15-20% bus fare rise which comes into
effect on that day. We Want Our Buses Back (WWOBB), the broad-based
campaign group initiated by the Socialist Party, has called the
demonstration to demand "Put Passengers Before Profit."
Alistair Tice
Thatcher’s deregulation and privatisation in 1987 has led to private
operators like First gaining a near-monopoly. They raise fares and cut
services without any regulation.
Last year First nationally made £96 million profit. But the bus
drivers don’t see any of it. Last summer, drivers in Sheffield were
forced to go on strike for three weeks to get starter drivers onto £6
an hour. First bus-drivers in Stoke are currently taking strike action
for a decent wage (see page 11). No wonder the company can’t get and
keep drivers and have to advertise for bus drivers in Poland!
Passengers are being ripped off as well. This will be the fourth fare
rise in Sheffield this year, tickets costing 36% more than last year!
The main adult single fare is going up to £1.50 and the day
"saver" (joke!) to £3.50.
People are being priced off the buses back into their cars. This
increases the gridlock into the city centre making the buses even more
unreliable, so less people use them, so services are cut, and fares put
up again… Traffic pollution is increasing – air quality has got worse
over the last five years.
But many people have no choice. 38% of Sheffield people don’t own or
have access to a car. These fare rises hit working-class people the
hardest.
Four more years! That’s how long Sheffield Council’s transport chief
says we must wait for the city’s bus services to improve. 2009 is when
the council hope to introduce Quality Bus Contracts (a form of partial
regulation). We can’t wait that long. Nobody will be able to afford to
catch a bus by then.
That’s why WWOBB has organised this demonstration against the fare
rises and First’s profiteering. And we also want to pressure the council
into action. If they really want a return to quality public transport
then they will have to make a stand against the private profiteers and
their own pro-privatisation New Labour government.
Only public ownership of all public transport can provide the
necessary investment, planning and integration to put passengers first.
We Want Our Buses Back!
Demonstrate against fare rises
Saturday 19 November.
Assemble 11am at City Hall for protest march and rally
