- Conference
- 2014 Water, Environment & Transport Service Group
- Date
- 25 February 2014
- Decision
- Carried
Having an integrated, efficient public transport network is vital to the economy and to the daily lives of millions of people.
While billions of pounds will be spent on building the HS2 rail line money is being cut from local authority budgets which leads to bus services being stopped, threatening the jobs of our members.
The Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) has collated startling figures from around England and Wales on the number of bus routes already removed. Entire bus networks are at risk of collapse. Their report “Buses in Crisis” shows 46% of local authorities reduced their support for buses in 2013.
Buses are the most flexible form of public transport serving people in remote, rural communities, giving young people some independence, allowing the elderly to attend medical appointments or go shopping without inconveniencing family members yet they receive far lower subsidies than the rail services.
UNISON has supported the Campaign for Better Transport and, hopefully, will continue to do so. The plight of our bus services urgently needs to be communicated widely before catching a bus becomes a distant memory.
Conference calls on the Water, Environment and Transport Executive to:
i) Promote UNISON’s transport policy to a wider audience.
ii) Support the Campaign for Better Transport in its work on the Save Our Bus campaign.
iii) Work with Labour Link and the Shadow Transport Ministry team to develop a transport policy that includes improving funding for bus services.