• Home
• What We Stand For
• About us
• Campaigns
  • Water Charges
  • Nationalise the Utilties
  • Racism
  • Fight for Jobs
  • LGBT
• Workplace News
  • NIPSA
  • UNITE
  • Unison
  • CWU
  • FBU
  • UCU
  • Other
• Statements & Analysis
• Online Publications
• Socialist Youth
• Women's Rights
• Environment
• Links
• Archive
• Search
• Join the Socialist Party

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Translink:
Fight against fare rises, service cuts and job losses

By Dagmar Walgraeve, 8 May 2009

Six bus services have been axed since the start of May. Many elderly, disabled, working and unemployed people are now left without any means of transport. The cuts affect areas in Dungiven, Antrim, Coleraine, Newtownards, Holywood and Belfast. Many more bus services are expected to see reductions in frequencies.

Chief Executive of NITHC / Translink, Catherine Mason has stated “We will continue to monitor the market and where there is sustainable demand we will review the level of service provided”. Yet it is impossible to measure demand for services, such as the Shore Rd (Belfast) to Holywood route, which have been cut.

Meanwhile, fares will increase even further despite fuel prices falling. Town services face a massive price hike of 41%. The deferral of these fare rises obtained by the Consumer Council is only a temporary relief. Many households are reliant on public transport to commute to work. A further increase in fares will squeeze household budgets even more.

Furthermore, Translink has announced that 75 jobs will be axed. Between 20 and 24 jobs are to go between Derry and Limavady alone. Minister for Regional Development Conor Murphy welcomed the assurances that “only” 75 jobs would be lost and would not involve compulsary redundancies. Murphy though is responsible for enforcing the £11.5 million cuts package which Translink is now acting upon.

Translink together with the Department are currently discussing “reform” of public transport. This is an attempt to transform public transport from a service into a business which needs to break even or makes profits. Initially, it is planned 10% to 15% of services will be contracted out to the private sector. Companies, who are only interested in make a profit not in providing a service for the population, will compete to win these contracts.

The unions have to fight these cuts and job losses. Decent, affordable public transport is a right. It is the only solution for the congestion on the roads and the environmental pollution this causes. Workers and commuters should have a full democratic say in the organisation of our public transport, unlike the dictatorship of management and the Executive. An integrated, properly funded, low cost public transport system, democratically managed and controlled by working people is needed to serve the needs of people and the environment.

Socialist Party, 13 Lombard St, Belfast BT1 1RB Tel: 02890232962 e-mail: socialistpartyni@btconnect.com