Chris calls for Bristol Liberal Democrats to

drop planned bus cuts

Kingswood campaigners are calling on Liberal Democrat-run Bristol City Council to drop its planned South Gloucestershire bus cuts.

Bristol City Council is consulting on proposals to withdraw its funding of Evening, Sunday and Bank Holiday journeys on cross-boundary services 5 (City Centre to Downend) and 7 (City Centre to Staple Hill).

There is concern that more cuts may be planned than what has already been announced by Bristol’s Liberal Democrat leadership.

The funding for these bus services is currently shared between Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council.

South Gloucestershire Council wants to retain the services, but Bristol wants to cut its funding.

Residents living in parts of South Gloucestershire who were left reeling from First’s bus cuts are now faced with more cuts to their local bus services.

Chris Skidmore, the prospective Conservative MP for Kingswood, said:

“Many local residents are still dealing with the aftermath of successive rounds of bus cuts carried out by First. Now many of the same residents face losing further services thanks to Liberal Democrat-run Bristol City Council. These bus cuts will add to the misery of the many South Gloucestershire residents that depend on these services.”

Conservative councillors for Rodway – through which the 7 bus service runs – Adrian Millward, Carol McCarthy and Kevin Seager added:

“We want one of the first decisions of Bristol’s new Liberal Democrat transport chief to be a u-turn on these planned bus cuts, which will impact badly upon both South Gloucestershire and Bristol residents.

We want to convince Bristol’s Liberal Democrat leadership that adding to First’s damaging bus cuts and disadvantaging hundreds of residents is not the way to encourage people to leave their cars and use public transport.”


Pictured from left, Adrian Millward, Kevin Seager, Chris Skidmore and Carol McCarthy on Station Road

Liberal Democrat-run Bristol City Council is consulting on proposals to withdraw its funding of Evening, Sunday and Bank Holiday journeys on services 5 (City Centre to Downend, 7 (City Centre to Staple Hill)

Bristol City Council press release, Smarter use of public transport funds, 27 March 2009
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/press-releases/2009/mar/smarter-use-of-public-transport-funds.en.

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