I recently wrote to the Solihull News and Solihull Observer on the serious issue of transport cuts in the Meriden constituency.
The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are pushing for even more cuts, and this time the transport networks affecting Solihull are seriously under threat. As Labour's Parliamentary candidate for Meriden, I have urged people to make their voices heard in Centro's public consultation.
In particular, I’ve urged people to ensure their interests aren't being made to suffer by the following far reaching cuts:
1. Bus fares for children could significantly increase - this could impact on how they get to school, socialise, use public transport in the future and could severely impact upon the finances of many families under increasing pressure in what is already a tough time.
2. There could be cuts to travel for the elderly and disabled people on trains and the Metro. This could be a slippery slope towards the government pressing for an end to free bus passes.
3. Some bus services might be stopped altogether, particularly impacting on rural areas.
4. Services designed to help those who need help most might be cut, such as the Ring and Ride.
I also urged people to consider how these cuts might impact on our local economy - less ability to travel may mean less spent in our local shops, let alone the difficulty it may create for people to commute to work and contribute to the economy.
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