Overhaul our transport system and bring in £1 bus fares
This week’s Budget was predictably disappointing, failing as it did to address either the climate emergency or the crisis facing our public services.
The Chancellor placated high earners with pension tax breaks, but did little for ordinary people, including the public sector workers who have been denied decent pay rises. Having met union reps and spoken on TV in support of striking workers, I strongly believe they deserve rises that match inflation. This would help regenerate our economy and restore our public services after 13 years of Tory mismanagement.
The ruinous cuts to rural bus services in Gloucestershire, as profit is prioritised over people, are just one example of how the system is falling apart. We need the whole public transport system to be overhauled to save our rural communities and make it easier for people to get around.
The Greens would bring in a £1 single fare on all bus routes across England with free bus travel for young people. We would make major investment in buses and allow services to once again be operated by local authorities for the public good, rather than for the profit of large companies.
The Green Party is all about practical solutions to create fairer, greener communities.
Pete Kennedy,
Green Party parliamentary candidate for Stroud