West Midlands bus cuts
Socialist Press1980 1980-06-18Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 11 →
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West N idlands Passenger Transport is making a 10% cut in services and increasing bus fares by 15% in August.
With a figure of 10 hours a week reduction in each driver's work week it is clear that jobs will be going.
This is certainly the case with 170 white collar jobs which are being phased out over the next period which means a cut of 15%.
And craft workers are being asked to make a 15% improvement in productivity.
The background to the cuts is a progressive reduction in subsidies from central government and more importantly the West Midlands County Council (WMCC).
In 1977/8 revenue from the WMCC covered 25% of costs. In 1980/81 it covered only 14%.
New buses are at present purchased with a subsidy from centrai government. Last year the subsidy was 50%, this year it is 33%, in 1984 it will be nothing at all.
The attacks on services and the jobs of people supplying them come at a time when the government's Transport Bill will open the way for private companies to compete with local services-leading to further cuts and job losses.
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