RMT responds to Govt's response to Bus report

RMT responds to Govt's response to Bus report

18 October 2019

RMT Press Office:

Bus union RMT today expressed anger and frustration at the missed opportunity in the Government response to the Transport Select Committee’s “Health of the Bus Market” report published today.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said:


“RMT is angry, frustrated and disappointed at this missed opportunity to take action to address the massive decline in the bus industry. Routes have been cut, thousands of bus drivers have lost their jobs and bus journeys have fallen by 300 million in 5 years as the private bus companies ‘cherry pick’ which routes to run and leave communities cut off and isolated.


“Government has failed to take action to address the excessive and unsafe hours in the industry, which are exacerbated by low pay, by the failure to legislate to bring local bus driver hours in line with long distance drivers, with no loss of pay. This shows that the Government cares more about the private bus companies’ profits than the safety of passengers.


"The Government’s proposals for a national bus strategy aren’t going to deliver the necessary changes under deregulation and privatisation. This proves once and for all that the bus industry needs to be renationalised, and run as a public service, not for profit. Local authorities need national ring-fenced funding to enable them to run the bus services their communities require in the public sector.”


Ends.

Want to receive updates from us? Subscribe to a mailing list

Tagged with: transport select committee, health of the bus market, bus, tory government,