Local Transport Bill is going wrong

Local transport is in disarray - this blog has had many examples of poor local services like the Randwick bus stopping going through the village and most recently the threatened cuts to No 46 evening services. Here is a copy of my email to David Drew MP and copied to County Council Cabinet member and local party leaders:

The Local Transport Bill currently going through its parliamentary stages is sadly going very wrong. We all want much improved bus services and a bigger say for local authorities in the pattern/quality of bus services, especially as bus companies make huge profits from a heavily subsidised industry. We currently subsidise buses to the tune of about £1.5 billion pa.

As I am sure you are aware, the LGA is lobbying hard to get three crucial amendments incorporated into this bill. They are proposing three key areas where the bill must be improved and should be amended to achieve these objectives:
* The provision for operators to veto frequencies, timings and fares specified by councils within Quality Partnership Schemes should be removed.
* The decision about whether to implement a Quality Contract should be delegated to councils as elected representatives of their communities. An appointed approvals board with no democratic mandate should not be able to overturn these proposals.
* It should be for constituent councils alone to determine membership, roles and voting rights of members of the new Integrated Transport Authorities.

I hope very much that you will be able to give your support for these key changes,as without them, the Bill will be largely ineffectual in enabling councils to make use of Quality Partnership Schemes or Quality Contracts to improve bus services in their areas. Cllr. Philip Booth