Bus cuts could have much wider impact

THE newly re-elected chairman of the Commons Transport Select Committee has added her voice to the clamour surrounding rumours that the Government is about to scrap a grant to bus companies — which would bring misery to Oldham’s bus travellers.

MPs, including Ashton’s David Heyes, whose constituency includes Failsworth, have signed a Commons motion calling on the Government not to ditch the Bus Service Operator’s Grant (BSOG).

Campaigners have warned of big fare rises, services cuts and job losses if BSOG is scrapped.

Transport Committee chairman Louise Ellman said: “We are going to try to get to the bottom of this. It appears the Government may cut it.

“If that happens, it would produce chaos in bus services, problems for rural areas, suburban services and after-hours services — it would affect everybody.

“There are a lot of mixed messages coming from the department at the moment.

“Transport is so essential to people’s individual mobility and the economy.”

But if the Tories are to press ahead with their pre-election promise to repeal the section of the Local Transport Act which enables quality contracts, it may meet some opposition from the committee.

“We thought quality contracts were very important,” said Mrs Ellman. “They are essential if we are to get value for money.”

She said that she has some idea herself what the committee should look at in the coming session but declined to give specific details.

“Transport must be kept a high priority and not downgraded in a frenzy of spending cuts,” she added.

The Liverpool Labour MP says she was re-elected unopposed to the job she took over on the death of Gwyneth Dunwoody two years ago.