BGCM MOTIONS 2019

GFTU BGCM 2019 MOTION 12

TSSA (1) – Transport Salaried Staff’s Association

Public Transport.

Conference notes that with the exception of Network Rail and failing train operating franchises, Britain's railways have largely been privately owned since the mid-1990s. The Conservative government claims that the huge growth in passenger rail travel is due to private ownership and innovation but fails to acknowledge record tax payer investment and support, many times that received by British Rail, which, together with a 20% real terms increase in fares, has underpinned profit extraction. A new report from the Independent Transport Commission has highlighted additional factors undermining the private sector claims, pointing to a 41% rise in rail commuters, particularly in London and the South East, arising from a 27% growth in employment among those with a propensity to commute. The most used element of public transport is the bus. Outside London, bus deregulation and privatisation in 1985 meant companies prioritised profitable routes and increased fares by 45% whilst local government subsidy for socially inclusive bus services has been reduced by 46% because of Tory austerity cuts. Conference believes that public transport should be for the public, not for the private sector to make money out of and calls on the GFTU to campaign for public ownership of Britain’s public transport, including the re-regulation of bus services across the country.

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