On Tuesday we’ll find out just how much fares will rise in January – the start of the whopping 28 per cent increases planned over the next four years if the Government gets its way.
To coincide with the announcement the Campaign for Better Transport has joined up with a host of other organisations to organise a rally in the morning rush hour outside Waterloo Station in London to send a message to Government: affordable public transport is vital – cancel the fare hikes and don’t price people off the train.
Now they’re inviting supporters of lower train fares to join them to hear speeches and pop giant balloons to show that it’s time to burst the bubble on inflation-busting fare hikes.
“We’ll also be inviting commuters to sign the petition, and write messages to the Government on giant rail tickets.
The organisation isn’t just campaigning on train fares right now, either. Back in January their chief executive, Stephen Joseph, told the House of Commons Transport Select Committee inquiry about our concerns for local bus services and explained how cuts are affecting ordinary bus users up and down the country. The Committee’s report on the cuts comes out tomorrow and the CFBT will be calling on the Government to reverse their planned 20 per cent cut to the Bus Service Operators’ Grant next year.
Cutting the grant, the only direct support for all bus services, could be the final straw for many bus services – including some in the Lancaster and Morecambe area.
“ We also want to give you a platform to tell MPs exactly how important your local buses are, so we are taking a double decker campaign bus to the three big party conferences,” says CFBT’s Campaign’s Director Richard Hebditch.”We’re inviting bus passengers to get on board! So if you’re in Birmingham, Liverpool or Manchester at the end of September and beginning of October and want to get your voice heard, let us know by filling in our online form.
“I’ve been going to the party conferences for some years now, and I know how important it is that politicians hear first-hand from the people affected by their decisions rather than just staying inside the conference venue meeting the same people over and over.”
• If you’re within reach of London on Tuesday 16th August join the CFBT for their rail fare protest between 8 and 9.30am across from Waterloo Station