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Labour leadership contest - Jamieson demands a fairer deal from bus firms



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Published Date: 21 August 2008
LABOUR leadership contender Cathy Jamieson today launched a scathing attack on Scotland's "woefully inadequate" bus services.
She is calling for a root and branch reform of the way services are run.

"The public is sick of woefully inadequate and ineffective services," the party's acting leader warned.

Ms Jamieson is proposing changes to existing legislation which will
force bus companies to consult with locals before any services are axed or introduced.

"This will ensure that it is the public that is shaping our bus services," she added.

"There needs to be tighter control of bus services to ensure that passengers get the services they deserve."

Many services are adequate during the day when profits can be made, according to Ms Jamieson, but vanish at weekends and evenings, leaving people "prisoners" in their communities.

"The status quo is not an option," she added.

"If bus companies want to operate services they will have to offer a full service, not just cherry pick the most profitable routes and times."

Her position won the backing of Alistair Watson, chair of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.

"We must take into account the social need for services where they may not be profitable and ensure that people do not become isolated within their communities," he said.




The full article contains 220 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 21 August 2008 10:45 AM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Scottish Labour Party
 
1

MacGillicuddy,

21/08/2008 11:14:30
This'll be Cathy making sure she can get a clippie's job when she is turfed out Holyrood.
2

Palermo,

21/08/2008 11:15:39
this does not appear to be the hallmark of a landmark national leader...the busses are awfy, you wait 15 minutes then 3 come at once...

next it will be that the weather's terrible, gray in fact...
3

John Jamieson,

Edinburgh 21/08/2008 11:24:17
Is she going to subsidise bus routes with the £400M she's hoping to get back after a word with Gordon Brown ?
4

Number 6,

Germany 21/08/2008 11:33:17
It must be election time, labour mps showing "concern", ignoring the fact that it's 50 years of liebour neglect that has put the country where it is . She has no shame.
5

Davidjon,

Juba, Southern Sudan 21/08/2008 11:41:24
Cathy Jamieson is quoted above as saying: "The public is sick of woefully inadequate and ineffective [bus] services,"

When Labour/Lib Dems were in power in The Gathering Place, what did they do about the situation when they had the chance? Not a lot methinks... So this statement from her is a bit rich is it not?
6

Number 6,

Germany 21/08/2008 11:50:37
#5 your too kind. Insulting and patronising would better describe it.
7

JayDeeTee,

21/08/2008 13:08:41
#5. Laughable isn't it? They had years and years to sort this out when they were in power.
8

Alan B,

21/08/2008 13:21:23
Would she not have been better publically critising bus services when she was in power.

Labour politicians seem the most inept bunch of people.
9

notanactivist,

Somewhere in the Borders 21/08/2008 13:28:06
#2 For the entire life of the Scottish Parliament the Borders has had a woefully inadequate bus service. Instead of waiting 15 mins try waiting over an hour for the next bus to come.

As we are an area dominated by Tory and Lib Dem politicians I doubt either Labour or the SNP will ever address this problem.
10

Scottish 'N British,

21/08/2008 13:32:22
8

Well, as we see with Salmond's hordes, ineptness isn't reserved to Scottish Labour/Scottish Lib Dem/Scottish Conservatives.

It's parliament-wide.
11

LEAL,

21/08/2008 15:09:21
10
No such thing as Scottish Labour/Scottish Libdem/Scottish Conservatives.....Scottish'n British
12

Number 6,

Germany 21/08/2008 15:45:37
#11 Forget it mate, that's way too complicated for them to get their heads around. They can't accept they are nothing but a Parlimentary group.

Maggie Brown is still the leader of labour in Scotland, and what he says goes. Not big Cathy or any of the other contenders.
13

morris,

edinburgh 21/08/2008 17:26:36

notanactivist,
Somewhere in the Borders 21/08/2008 13:28:06

Whilst I sympathise with the Borders woeful level of bus services,the simple fact is there is no demand and I frequently see Jedliner buses operating at a fraction of their capacity.Unless the Borders council has a major increase in income it cannot subsidise services,any more than it does, and certainly not where no passengers exist!You need a major population increase to pay for any increases in services.
I have often travelled from Kelso and there were more passengers going to and from Pathead and Edgehead than from the Border region, and if it had not been for Kelso High School I doubt anyone would have got on at all.Yes the Scottish government could spend/ waste money on Border services,but until the people exist and start using them there is no point!Journeys to Berwick and Kelso seem to be particulary few and far between,but the numbers using them is even less.Northumbria have the same problem,I got on a bus going from Berwick to Wooler and I was the only passeneger on the entire route!The driver was amazed that I wanted on at Berwick Bus Station!He even joked that the old double decker might not make it with passenegers on board.He was closer than I imagined!
The Hawick and Carlisle to Edinburgh service route seems to cope well enough, and one wonders if they could be re-routed with one bus every three hours or so, taking an alternative route to Edinburgh?
Galashiels seems to be adequately catered for and Peebles has a service of sorts.

Similarly I cannot see the Waverley line surviving without a permanent subsidy since the numbers living close enough to use it are inadequate.With LRT operating as far south as Gorebridge it has even less chance than when it was closed !
Ripping the line up and building a quality road in its place makes far more sense and will be used by all traffic heading south from Edinburgh as a fast direct link to both the M1 and the M6/M74,since the route of the
14

morris,

edinburgh 21/08/2008 17:29:59
13 cont
Ripping the line up and building a quality road in its place makes far more sense and will be used by all traffic heading south from Edinburgh as a fast direct link to both the M1 and the M6/M74,since the route of the old railway does make sense for joining the East coast route from Tweedbank or continuing down through Newcastleton to Carlisle and the west coast.
The present roads are an embarrassment and the A classification in Scotland is not even as good as many B roads in England!
The A9 should precede any of these as a greater priority anyway.It is quite literally the backbone of Scotland, but beyond the Tay it needs a major sorting out.

I sympathise with your situation,but I can see no increase in passengers and until that changes,nothing else can.
15

Jock Tamson,

Scotland, Caledonia, Alba 21/08/2008 19:42:37
13&14, morris. I'm sure you will agree with me that the same criteria be applied to the Edinburgh - Glasgow trains. They are almost empty once they have departed Linlithgow and Polmont.

But that is a flagship service which sends Weegie MSPs to Holyrood. Ha ha effin ha.

The people in the Borders (THE Borders) apparently don't count. Eh no?
16

notanactivist,

21/08/2008 21:20:40
#13 Point taken but you're really getting into chicken and egg territory with that kind of argument.

The main reason those buses are so empty is that they are so unreliable meaning everyone has to drive. The traffic in the Borders every morning and closing time is as bad as anything in Edinburgh or Glasgow. Instead of focussing on the traffic heading to Edinburgh or Newcastle road planning should emphasise easing the congestion surrounding the Border towns at busy times.

Alternatively, a massive investment in public transport might get people out of their cars thus easing the congestion.

Incidentally, most busses in Edinburgh are virtually empty during office hours yet dozens are unnecessarily put on routes.
17

Scotindy,

Los Angeles 21/08/2008 22:29:56
The liebour party WERE in power for ten long years and they cound not fix anything then. What makes you think that they can do anything about anything NOW!!!!!Nothing they are TOAST. Look forward to a bright new future in an INDEPENDENT SCOTLAND!
18

The Former Mr. Angry,

Perth 21/08/2008 22:52:13
Someone should tell Cathy that central command and control economics do not work in a free market! Bus companies need to make a profit to survive - if they're throwing money down the pan on uneconomic routes they will simply go out of business and then - NO BUSES at all. Of course what she'd like to do is do just that then greet about it and force the taxpayers to pay the exorbitant sums required which is where Labour lives.
19

donald,

glasgow 22/08/2008 07:50:17
Was Caff not driving a Ministerial car in office. Why has she just noticed buses the noo?
20

WHISTLEBLOWER,

29/08/2008 15:07:11
"Incidentally, most busses in Edinburgh are virtually empty during office hours yet dozens are unnecessarily put on routes."

That's news to me. I use them all the time. They're full of old folk, and parents of young children.

 

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