Better buses in Scotland: call for help from FoE and Get Glasgow Moving

Please help our friends in Friends of the Earth and Get Glasgow Moving to get better bus services in Scotland; a better bus service means fewer people feel they need to get cars, so more room for bikes on the road and less pollution.  PLEASE USE THIS LINK TO ADD YOUR SUPPORT.  It's quick and easy to do.  The information that follows is from Friends of the Earth:

Scotland’s bus sector is in crisis.

In the last decade, bus companies have cut routes by a fifth and increased fares by a huge 50%. This dramatic deterioration is preventing people accessing basic services like hospitals and job centres, causing social isolation and inequality. It is also increasing the dominance of cars, exacerbating toxic air pollution and climate emissions.

Apart from Lothian Buses and a few other exceptions, most of Scotland’s buses are privately run, and all too often profit is put before people. Under public ownership and well-designed franchise models, profits from busy bus routes can be reinvested back into expanding the public transport network, improving reliability and reducing fares.

The Government wants your views about whether to shift the balance of power away from private companies and towards public bodies.

Take your chance to demand Local Transport Authorities are granted the powers necessary to run their own bus companies, or failing this, to operate well regulated franchises.

It’s time for a decent, fully-integrated, accessible and affordable public transport network for everyone in Scotland. Take action today.

This will be a response to the official consultation on improving local bus services and is supported by Friends of the Earth Scotland, Get Glasgow Moving, Unison, and Unite Community. You can read the full consultation document here.