Statement from Mulgrew on Bus Re-Regulation!

During last Wednesday's council meeting I introduced a motion on the need

for re-regulation of our local bus service, an issue that your governing

Liberal Democrat administration felt required debating and also warranted

examining in greater detail. This is because it is our belief that there is

a deep and fundamental problem for us to surmount if buses are to overcome

the negative perception that exists around them and so mine was a clarion

call for a change to the present system.

The root causes of our under performing bus service is because the basic

customer service needs of punctuality, affordability, reliability, frequency

and accessibility are not up to scratch and thus this yields

underachievement. However, buses play a huge role in the vibrancy and

effectiveness of the London region because they are successful, well used,

efficient, reasonable and integrated into a comprehensive transport system.

The other huge factor in this bus equation is that bus operators bring a

market economy approach to this transport sector and profit is the

overriding motive behind providing a route. This is why it baffled me why

the Labour group supported an amendment proposed by the Conservative Group

that although backed the motion, wanted recognition of the few benefits that

deregulation has brought. Astonishingly this meant that Labour Councillors

effectively were praising the move from public ownership to privatisation -

a key Thatcherite policy - and one asks what more lies in store for us from

the combined Labour and Conservative opposition?

The borough's key aims and needs require a better bus service; these include

Social inclusion and cohesiveness, economic Progress and Environmental

consciousness. Rochdale requires now and for the future a modern transport

solution that it alone can control and determine - we are the people and

consumers, not the commercial operators who cannot surely tell us where

services and routes should be fixed?

This is a seminole moment for Rochdale with the onset of the Kingsway

Business Park, the renovation of Rochdale Town Centre, new bus stations in

Middleton and Rochdale, and to match this we need to be confident in

commissioning transport links that are fit for purpose.

Cllr Dale Mulgrew

(Balderstone & Kirkholt)