Tories Slash School Buses

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 30th Apr 2001

School buses are an essential part of the education service. Properly run school bus services cut down car use for the school run, and therefore traffic chaos and accidents. But what did Tory controlled Bedfordshire County Council do? They cut the school bus service!

All the Tory County Councillors voted for cuts in the service including our local County Councillors who sit on local school governing bodies!

Parent action groups had to organize demonstration marches pointing out the safety issues and many services had to be re-instated.The Tories claim that £800,000 was saved. So what did they do with the money? Did they reduce your taxes? No, they did not.

£800,000 has been spent on consultants and bureaucracy to privatise yet more County Council services. Net result to the taxpayer - traffic jams, less safe travel to school, and fewer escorts on buses.

What would Liberal Democrats do?

LOCALLY We would put a high priority on putting in place a properly organised and run school bus service to increase safety and reduce pollution and congestion. Nationally we would also give free off peak bus pases to all students under 19 in full time education.