Labour leader: It's not too late to block Citybus sale
PLYMOUTH Labour leader Tudor Evans has told a packed meeting that the privatisation of Citybus can be stopped if people can enlist the help of their Tory councillors.
He was speaking at an open meeting in the Guildhall organised by opponents of the proposed sell-off and attended by more than 150 people.
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Referring to a possible vote on the sale in November, Cllr Evans said: "We only need a handful of their councillors to switch over to win the day."
He claimed that many Conservative voters did not want to see Citybus privatised, and urged people to contact their local ward councillor and put pressure on them to vote down the sale.
Cllr Evans said: "If your local councillors are Conservative, why not ask them for a meeting so they can explain to you why they want to sell it off?"
The meeting, on Friday evening, allowed members of the public to ask questions of a panel made up of Labour politicians and trade unionists - council leader Vivien Pengelly and the council's chief executive had both declined to send a representative.
The meeting was held just hours after the council announced that it had received five bids from parties interested in buying the publicly owned bus company, and there was an angry roar from the crowd when that was announced.
Addressing the meeting, Plymouth MP Linda Gilroy said the proposed sale was the main factor behind Labour's recent by-election victory in Ham.
She added: "We've got to try and make this Tory administration see sense. What right do they have to do this when it wasn't in their manifesto?
"Would they have won the last two elections if they had put this in their manifesto? I don't think so."
Cllr Brian Vincent, who is a Citybus driver, said commercially operated bus services were not as good value.
He pointed out that Citybus' profits were capped but still generated a regular dividend for the council.
Cllr Vincent said: "There will only be one winner if they sell off Citybus and that will be the fat cats of commercial bus companies."
The council's cabinet is spending nearly £1million on finding out how much Citybus is worth, but says no decision to sell has yet been made.
The process included inviting bids from interested companies, which are currently being considered.
Supporters of privatisation say the proceeds of a sale could be invested more profitably in the city.
Council leader Vivien Pengelly had previously said that she could not attend the meeting due to a personal commitment, but added: "We have not made a decision yet and until we do I can't comment on it. It's too sensitive."
Ian Crews, 54, from Prince Rock, was among those attending the meeting on Friday.
He said: "I think they've already made their minds up to sell it to make money for the Life Centre.
"It should stay in the hands of the public."
ends
36 Comments
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by mitch, egg buckland
Monday, September 14 2009, 10:54PM
“Few turned up at Tudor's meeting. The public are losing or are simply not opposing the proposal to sell.”
by mitch, egg buckland
Monday, September 14 2009, 10:53PM
“Few turned up at Tudor's meeting. The public are losing or are simply not opposing the proposal to sell.”
by mark, keyham
Monday, September 14 2009, 10:14PM
“Scare stories. Anyone would think that if CityBus were to be sold the routes would be closed the remaining fares rocket and eventually the assets stripped and the sheds left empty and idle. this is a going concern and should be subject to free enterprise not left to become the political plaything of a local Labour group with nothing else to say and a group of Tories most of us would not think have the acumen to run a corner shop.
Sell CityBus now.”
by Hermes (and Thelemia), Plymouth
Monday, September 14 2009, 8:12PM
“Altogether; being certainly doubtful, even for generations happily imagining journeys knitted late: most normal ordinary people question rigorously sales that undermine vital w x y z
An often considered perspective viewpoint indeed deems information in being essential for common and uncommon good. Moored betwixt enlightenments ever created; rank consensus popularly appears in generous gracings well loved in wisdoms.
Eyes spoke storying tailed talents in dubiously arranged anarchies of tempered opinion. As such; a useful network across Plymouth (City), lays yet founded originally in a beginnings beyond our start. Any alternating course corrupting free progress in breadth and any all breath is disputed as wrong. Eden again.
A friend again memoried memory in each every all known
An art wore painted tunic; kissed sceptre blew blown
Council arisen beyond mound of popular paper entry main
Bretonsided land held know doubt in profit sized sale
Plymouth Brethrened in hour; Plymouth Corporation Transport called to halt hold;
How neareth in dowry; In the event of Plymouth City changing beyond recognition;
I shall listen on in all in anon; Love every breath brethren Plymouth is free in friendship.
View. No sale.
:.:.:. I C I S”
by Jessica, The Millfields
Monday, September 14 2009, 7:53PM
“We just want decent buses. I don't care whether the council own them or not. They might just as well sell off in order to scale down the unnecessary responsibilities of the council. Anything to make it simpler.”
by mel, plympton
Monday, September 14 2009, 7:43PM
“What possible advantage is there in Plymouth City owning one of the local bus companies? They are not as good as the others and thir pension scheme just drains any profits.”
by Norman, Elburton
Monday, September 14 2009, 7:14PM
“Fortunately Labour has had its day everywhere so this company will be sold now or soon. As the unions today have begun to pull even their rugs from beneath the government and shown that they are prepared to take us back decades with strikes to preserve the indefensible and excessively expensive jobs of the public sector, so it becomes even more essential to get shot of them immediately.”
by Andy, Pennycomequick
Monday, September 14 2009, 7:11PM
“I'm with those who say that city councils should not run commercially run bus companies.”
by Ron, Elburton
Monday, September 14 2009, 7:07PM
“I'm with Colin, a municipal bus service taking you anywhere and everywhere for two shillings. keep citybus and turn the clock back half a century or more. Although I remember getting a bus from Plymstock to Embankment Road and another from there to my school at Mutley and the trip using both buses was 4d and 2 1/2d. School and back for just over a shilling. And the buses were horrible and the conductors rule and the drivers not great. The buses were full of people who smoked and spat and elderly prepared to have a stand up row with pregnant women over spare seats because the oldies and some less old had fought in the war. Such was the way of publicly owned transport.”
by David Mavin, Eggbuckland
Monday, September 14 2009, 7:05PM
“Karen St Budeaux, in your opinion CityBus should be sold and I respect that, but there are many who have the same voting right as yourself that would disagree.
The present council do not run CityBus, but entrust that to the management team who have returned a profit to the city.
Only by having an open and honest debate with all the facts presented, not only on the sale but the intended usage of the capital, can the people who are not governed by political persuasion formulate an informed choice and if given the opportunity vote on it (if they want to).
The price of a referendum and indeed democracy would be a lot less than the money allocated to find out the sale price of CityBus, but the result, for once and for all, would give our elected representatives a clear road to drive down.
I do not believe that Tinside is a tourist attraction but an outside municipal pool for all to use, similar to the intended Life Centre!
VfM”