Southampton Greens are calling for £1 bus fares.

7 December 2022

Southampton Green Party is calling for people to support and sign the e-petition asking the council to subsidise bus fares for everyone by offering a flat £1 fare 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with a 50p flat fare for children.  Having evening £1 bus fares over the festive period   ( *the current ticket deal detailed below) is not enough by a long way.  We need this as a permanent policy.  As the petition says, a similar scheme has been rolled out successfully in Taunton, Somerset, so why not here?  Several German cities are considering starting free public transport services.

Katherine Barbour, Green Party candidate in Portswood, said: "Giving £1 bus fares would help the poorest who tend to use public transport a lot, would give a boost to shops and help businesses in Southampton.  It would be important in reducing air pollution from too many private cars."

The local party  has observed that the boss of Bluestar buses has called for free travel throughout the Christmas period. However, the £1 flat fare scheme proposed by the Greens should run throughout the year and would be required to be supported by the council - it would also require an element of matched funding by the bus company so that the scheme could be launched. Once up and running the increasing passenger numbers will help make the scheme a success. 

Refs:

• The e-petition:                                          https://www.southampton.gov.uk/moderngov/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=500000135&RPID=538814600&HPID=538814600
• German cities plan to start free public transport: https://www.english-online.at/news-articles/travel/german-cities-plan-free-public-transport.htm
• *Bluestar news item: https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/23163191.bluestar-boss-calls-free-bus-travel-christmas-shoppers/?fbclid=IwAR3lL67XRkSlyF8lxOl6AvyrmFtWq4SqLaH16O51fEB7R_G5fVQkujlLY_s

 

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