18 February 2023
Bus services in Southampton are under threat and this afternoon the local Southampton Green Party were out demonstrating at the civic centre for cheaper fares. The call for the introduction of a £1 single fare on all routes around our city is also being petitioned for on the council website.
Coined, ‘A One Pound Fare to Take You There,’ the policy seeks to increase usage of buses - passenger levels in most areas have never fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
Katherine Barbour, candidate for Portswood ward for the Green Party, says, “All across Europe people in cities use buses; to shop, go to school and work, to go to see friends and to enjoy leisure time. Sadly, in Southampton the car has become the main mode of transport and this results in snarled up traffic, frustrated travellers and longer journey times. It also hugely contributes to the poor air quality, higher carbon footprints whilst making life harder for the 30% of people in the city who don't have a car.”
Currently the Green Party is petitioning the City Council to reduce bus fares for hard working families to £1 for adults and 50p for children. This would put more money in families’ pockets and show families that the city really cares about this group of people, the majority of the population in our city. Katherine recommends that everyone goes to the e-petition site on the city council website and signs the petition. Already over 700 people have signed it manually with 60 signatures online, and with an extra few signatures it will be debated by the Scrutiny Committee of Southampton City council.
Katherine Barbour added: “The bus can take several cars off the road and reduces congestion for all. Come on, make the step change and use our local buses. I hope to see you on the bus one of these days.”
The online petition: https://www.southampton.gov.uk/moderngov/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=500000135&RPID=538814600&HPID=538814600
Notes:
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