Lib Dems force Tories to reconsider Bus Cuts

2.30.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 30th Jul 2003

Bus services in the balance

The Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have successfully forced the Conservative administration to reconsider their decision to cut bus services from September, even though they refused to debate a Lib Dem motion before the summer holidays.

The Conservative Executive of Surrey County Council took their original decision to withdraw the services at the meeting on the 10th June. The Lib Dems then proposed the following motion, which was considered at the County Council meeting on the 29th July:

"This Council regrets the reduction to the evening and weekend bus services recently announced, which will cause hardship for some Surrey residents, and proposes to the Executive that, in order to stop this cycle of decline in bus service provision in Surrey, a radical re-think of the bus network across the whole of Surrey is undertaken - involving all Local Committees - in order to identify the real needs for buses, how best to meet those needs and thereby help to make bus services more sustainable."

The Tory group voted unanimously to oppose holding an immediate debate, and to instead to refer the motion back to the Executive, before debating it at the end of October. Meanwhile, the bus service cuts have been "put on hold".

Councillor Janet Maines, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council, said, "The Lib Dems will keep up the pressure for a wide consultation before any cuts can be considered."

Related Link:

Tories to cut Evening and Weekend Buses