Complaints on buses go to top

Apr 26 2008 by nick lavigueur, Hudd Sat

KIRKBURTON Parish council has taken its campaign for bus improvements to a higher level.

Councillors have written to all five West Yorkshire MPs asking them to support local transport proposals to be put before Parliament this year.

If approved the Local Transport Bill would give local authorities more power to regulate public transport operators and would allow the creation of an influential bus passenger group.

Kirkburton Parish Councillor, Jimmy Paxton, said: “Rural transport is very important to people who live in the out-lying areas. If I can get all the MPs to support the bill it’s got more chance of going through Parliament.”

Huddersfield MP, Barry Sheerman said he hoped the bill would bring back the levels of service that existed before the deregulation of the Thatcher era.

He said: “We’ve been so jealous of what’s happening in London for so many years. I think it’s a fantastic measure and I will be supporting it.”

The Kirkburton Parish Council clerk said that so far, four MPs had replied, and all were in favour of the new bill.