Credit where credit is due - well done Tracey for the 155

Used with kind permission of Tracey Crouch

Although this was well out of our (Medway Liberal Democrats) current sphere of influence, I've kept an eye on this story from afar.

Arriva buses had cut the evening service 155 bus which had run from Chatham via Rochester, Borstal and onto Aylesford. It's an important route for those who live out in Eccles & Borstal as there is no real alternative transport and to be honest Aylesford is a bugger to get to by train from the Medway towns.

The Independent campaign has fought hard and contacted their elected representatives (cllrs Tolhurst & Baker both Conservatives and of course the local MP Tracey Crouch).

Whilst the campaigners and councillors met with portfolio holder Phil Filmer, Tracey got quite heavily involved with both peoples and indeed Arriva having Several! meetings.

It was agreed very recently that there be a stay of execution of six months whilst Arriva looks at figures and there is a sort of "use it or lose it" campaign.

As the campaigner's website states "Proof the tide of rural decline can be reversed when people come together to make it happen" - the very soul of democracy and localism and something I applaud.

It is interesting that the local voice of the opposition misses Tracey's role and instead absorbs a lot off the glory for himself. Although I do agree with the Labour record at trying to bring the Conservative administration in Medway to account and he has spoken of this before - I found a couple of loopholes in his arguments.

Firstly the bus station. Regular readers will know that I have consistently said what a complete shambles this was and both of us agree on that. It is kind of a seperate issue though in this case as it has nothing to do with ticket prices and the 155.

Secondly, looking at the stats. The drop of 9.3m to 8.9 m does seem large but it isn't even 5%. In a year that is hardly a drastic figure and could reflect any number of causes not just prices. Lets be honest, they've a business to run and with fuel prices going up - which they have consistently under the Coalition AND Labour (who brought in the fuel regulator) and with the withdrawal of Council subsidy as they, like the last Labour government felt that it should be up to users to make up the difference rather than taxpayers.

Any way, that's by the by.

The third point interested me the most. It was the useage of this phrase;

Those residents from outside Medway have also been specifically impacted by the cut to thr (sic) 155 service which goes through two Medway wards and impacts many of my residents in Burham, Eccles and Wouldham.

Hold up Custer... from memory Tracey is their MP until the 2015 election. As a PPC who was elected to that position all of 3 months ago, who already represents Luton & Wayfield and a resident of Rochester how are they your residents? After all they haven't elected you (yet). It is fair to shout when their MP has failed them but in this case surely Tracey and you agree on the outcome?

Any way, as everyone has omitted in their works on the subject I wanted to take this space to say:

Well done Tracey!

 She's worked hard on this and has secured a vital transport lifeline for the rural residents in her Constituency.

You may think it strange that an "Opposition" party member is supporting the MP but... Credit where credit is due.

When a broad budget is voted on and cuts are made by Government and Council there will always be chinks in the armour like the 155. The mark of a good local MP and Councillor is one who can stand up for residents and campaigners and fight for the important ones that have slipped by along with ones that can be lost.

"Rolling back the State" Conservatives hoodwink bus users.

I'm sure all of us can agree that we want to be more free from the State. The social contract is that I pay taxes and partake in certain activities to benefit the state such as voting, the census, jury duty, conform to the law and should the worst happen perform national service with conscription. In return the state helps to educate, police, heal etc.

It is about achieving a balance, obviously a state that has no interest in the lives of its citizens is a bad state destined to be overthrown where as a state like Nazi Germany, where the state is ever present and represented in EVERYTHING is also despised and disliked.

Also in these economically tenuous times I can also understand the state withdrawing subsidies from projects and services that are no longer affordable.

HOWEVER...

Local Conservative Councils are withdrawing subsidies from bus transport across the South East areas, especially to school bus routes.

At last weekend's Southeast Liberal Democrat Conference we heard from delegates from the Reading area and also the Sussex areas of local Conservatives "Rolling back the state" and encouraging children to walk to school instead.

According to delegates this is an ill thought out plan for several reasons.

* Parents would have to cut hours at work so that they could walk their child to school.

* In the countryside many lanes lack footpaths at the side, are not wide enough for two way traffic and with a national speed limit in force it is not safe to walk along for adults let alone children.

* The plans are designed around a circular frame so that all those within a certain radius are exempt from subsidised bus transport. This doesn't take into account geography or roads and although some one may live 2 miles from the school they may live 3 -4 miles by road.

* In Urban areas like Medway where it seems similar cuts may be made, there is also danger with busy roads and crime on the doorstep. I know I wouldn't be happy about letting Sophie walk to school on her own.

What will ultimately happen? Parents will drive their kids in to school thus adding to congestion, doing damage to the environment and costing the tax payer even more money.

In Medway many elderly residents also rely on the network of Arriva buses whose routes crisscross the whole of Medway and even offer a better and quicker alternative to getting to Maidstone than Southeastern trains. Many residents use them to get to shopping hubs like Tesco in Chatham, Asda near Horsted, the Pentagon and Chatham high street, and Aldi in Gillingham (where the car park only has an hour stay on it!).
If Medway Conservatives do "Roll back the state" and cut subsidies to Arriva then it will hit the constituents hard.

The other extreme would be that with a lower subsidy the bus companies may up prices thus pricing many off the buses. I already walk most places as it is cheaper but many don't have that luxury. Public transport MUST be affordable to the public otherwise it might as well not be there.

Needless to say that the Conference voted Against such reform and promised, as a party we would oppose it in our area.

We understand how important public transport is for everybody, we also want to role back the state but not to the detriment of the people.