Bus Regulation Failure
Thu., June 12, 2008. 18:16.
Parliament fails bus passengers again
Today Parliament voted overwhelmingly (1) for a Green amendment requiring the Scottish Government to look again at how Scotland's bus network could be regulated for the future, but once a Tory amendment also passed the final motion was bound to fall. (2) Regulation could take a number of forms, but Greens will continue to argue for lower fares, better services, especially in rural areas, and a return to a public service ethos. Patrick Harvie MSP said:
"Today could have marked the beginning of the end for the current market-first approach to bus transport. Deregulation was one of Margaret Thatcher's most ill-conceived social experiments, and the time has come to move beyond it.
"Competition has had some positive effects, but many areas remain ill-served while fares are on the way up. Buses have been the poor relations of public transport for too long, and irrespective of today's failure, Scottish Ministers must now take the future of Scotland's bus services seriously."
Notes
1. The vote on the Green amendment was as follows. Yes: 86, No: 15, Abstentions: 16.
2. The Green amendment to today's Labour motion was as follows:
S3M-2121.2 Patrick Harvie: Bus Transport-As an amendment to motion (S3M-2121) in the name of Des McNulty, insert at end “recognises the need, beyond the short term, to consider the most appropriate regulatory environment for bus services to operate within, given the mixed impacts of competition in the industry and the positive results that have been achieved in countries and cities which use stronger forms of bus regulation, and calls on the Scottish Government to consult on the full range of options for the future of bus services.”
Contact the Scottish Greens' press team on 07909 933 074.