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STOP PRESS! The campaign to give passengers and communities more say over bus services has reached new heights - with Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander MP promising new powers. To find out more (More) To read my Ten Minute Rule Bill speech on making bus companies more acountable (Click Here)
To read my 15.11.05 speech about transport in Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough (Click Here) To read my 1.4.04 speech about local transport (Click Here)
Transport in Pudsey Horsforth and Aireborough
Tory privatisation wrecked our local bus and rail services.
Though rail services have partially recovered, bus services continue to decline. I have campaigned constantly on these issues, not just as an MP, but also as a public transport user.
Bus operators in particular treat communities with contempt. They must be brought to book, and made more accountable.
Besides problems for passengers, poor services affect us all. Poor public transport means more car use. That causes problems with congestion, road safety, rat running and pollution. Bus services are unreliable, and are chopped and changed purely in the pursuit of profit. We get no say.
I have joined with MP colleagues to press the government for Passenger Transport Executives – like Metro locally – to be able to draw up "quality contracts" with bus companies. These contracts balance community needs with bus company profits. These already work very successfully in London. Local bus operators, however, are totally opposed to them.
Rail services have recovered only slowly from the initial disaster of privatisation. There is still a lot that needs to be done locally to respond to problems with overcrowding and unreliability.
The first private operator shed 70 drivers, causing chaos with thousands of cancelled services. It took several years, and a change of operator, to restore the position.
Massive investment is also going into rail. But much of it is being absorbed by safety and maintenance highlighted by the Hatfield Disaster.
I helped to secure a £6 million grant for the new 333 class trains to replace the appaling and decrepit 40-yearold slam-door trains.
Guiseley, New Pudsey and Horsforth Stations have also been upgraded. But it is still crucial that we get resources locally to increase reliability and reduce overcrowding.
Pious words from Tories ignore the disaster they created - and one that they cannot possibly put right with their commitment to massive cuts. | |
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