TGWU attacks rises
Page 22
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
SOUTH Yorkshire County Council was praised for its progressive policy on public transport at the Transport and General Workers Union conference at Scarborough although other areas were attacked for allowing fare increases of up to 60 per cent.
Delegates also attacked Leyland for not building the buses public transport service needs and causing operators to buy foreign — although it is not clear which bus operators are currently buying foreign.
Delegates also hit out at excessive charges faced by National Bus Company on a £100m loan which the Government required be paid back — against the recommendation of a Commons select committee that it be wiped out.
Larry Smith, national bus secretary, attacked the idea of private operators getting hold of licences and using "shady accounting to cover up the use of moonlighters."
A motion at conference asked the general executive council of the union "to take steps to try to halt the serious decline in the road passenger' transport industry and to seek improvements which are required as a social need.
"Adequate financial provision should be made to remove further fare increases and reductions in services." The conference asked for local government to build up the subsidies in order to provide proper services and to remove private operators, particularly in rural areas.
Road passenger transport should receive similar subsidies to those of the railways and "the Government should continue to ensure that adequate financial provisions be made to support bus ser vices and reduce the need for further fare increases and reductions in services, thereby protecting the job availability of our membership."
The motion was carried.