On the buses
One of the next victims of this Government's austerity agenda could be the Bus Service Operators Grant – a mechanism that enables companies to reclaim the cost of their fuel duty in order to keep fares down.
Yet, while every aspect of public spending needs to be studied, it is imperative that Ministers consider the consequences of their decision-making. The mantra from politicians of all persuasions is that they want to be keep car usage to a minimum.
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Hide AdYet it is difficult to see how this will be achieved if bus services are scaled pack, particularly in those rural communities where services only exist because of subsidies, or fares are no longer affordable.
The reality is that the people who will pay the heaviest price for bus
cuts are the poorest members of society – the very people that this Government has supposedly promised to protect during the downturn.