Charlie Rowland, Oxfordshire bus user
Like many others, I’m no stranger to the state of public transport, primarily bus services. Whether run by Oxford city or Stagecoach, both privatised bus services come with major issues.
Stagecoach has been increasing ticket prices continuously throughout 2022. For example, for me to go from Botley to Eynsham and back – a relatively short journey – costs £4.30. It might not sound much, but as I’m doing this every day, the costs add up scarily quickly!
The government has introduced a temporary £2 cap for all single bus tickets. To put it bluntly, this is completely useless. People bussing around normally get return tickets, and many single tickets don’t reach £2.
Angry about service
Riding the buses, I witness drivers constantly confronted by passengers angry about the quality of service. It’s not surprising bus drivers are scarce, or that many are choosing to strike.
Services are overcrowded and infrequent. My mother gets the 33 home from work every day and when that bus doesn’t come, she is made to wait another hour for the next one.
The companies have offered no insight into how they intend to improve services. The simple reason is they’re too tight to do so. As long as the bus companies make a profit, people suffering in the cold needing to get home is not a factor for the bosses. They want to run fewer services and keep driver wages low to boost profits.
By why should a few very rich individuals profit from our need to get around and to work? Bus services should be brought into democratic public ownership, with no compensation to the existing fat-cat owners. Service users and bus workers could then plan services to meet the needs of communities, and also make transport free.
The country has more billionaires than ever, why not take that wealth and put it to good use by fully funding a free, high-quality public transport system in the interests of people and the planet?
We will fight Berkshire bus cuts
Adam Gilman, Reading Socialist Party
Last year, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) started a campaign to stop the bus cuts happening all around Berkshire. Wokingham Borough Council introduced an hourly service to Reading, only after our campaign put pressure on the bus companies and local councils.
Passenger numbers went up by 45% with this new service. It has a lot of flaws, like no Sunday or bank holiday service, but it was something.
A Lib Dem-led coalition won control of Wokingham Council from the Tories last year. The previous Tory administration had left lots of the local bus services with no funding. But now the Lib Dems, with the support of Labour, are making cuts in other areas.
The council recently bid to keep the 600 route to Riseley. But the council put in a low bid, causing the council to lose the contract beyond March. This is being used an excuse to cut the service.
But that’s not all. The Lib Dem, Labour and ‘independent’ coalition council has cut some bin collections. They only just got into power!
These bus cuts are horrific. They will worsen the lives of many people, and affect vulnerable people worst.
We demand:
- All public services to be taken back into public ownership
- For all cuts and austerity measure since 2010 to be reversed
- For local councils to implement legal no-cuts budgets and fight central government for the funding
