Labour Party candidate, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, calls for freeze on bus fares.
Mr Russell-Moyle, Labour’s candidate to be MP in the Lewes Constituency, has written to local bus providers asking them to consider freezing bus fares for 2015/2016 and requested a meeting with all interested parties to ensure that bus services are maintained.
Mr Russell-Moyle said: “with falling petrol costs due to remain throughout 2015/2016 I’m requesting that the bus companies make a commitment to support the travelling public and pass on the savings by freezing or reducing bus fares in the coming year”
East Sussex County Council voted for reduction to the travel subsidy in December last year and allowed bus companies that run routes commercially to set their own bus fares. Routes supported by the council are allowed to seek a fare increase of up to 30% with officers deciding the increase on each case.
Mr Russell-Moyle stated: “with wages still not increasing at anywhere near the rate of increase in public transport it would seem fair that the bus companies across Sussex make a commitment to both freeze prices and also meet to discuss plans on how to increase numbers of services reaching out to the rural areas of our county”
Labour has pledged to give councils greater powers to set fares, regulate buses and award routes to either non-profit or publicly owned providers if they wish.
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Notes
Lloyd Russell-Moyle is the Labour Party’s Candidate for Lewes Constituency, where he grew up and lives with his family. He can be contacted on 01273 25 2929 or lloyd.russell-moyle@leweslabour.org.uk. He has been working with the non-party coalition “Lewes Stop the Cuts” to fight the bus cuts in East Sussex.
Vía Blog – Lewes Labour Party http://ift.tt/1C4rWGw
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