THE LEADER of Harlow Labour has questioned Robert Halfon’s petition regarding bus provision in Harlow.

Councillor Chris Vince said: “When government ministers need to launch petitions against bus companies you know that the system of bus franchising is broken!  

Mr Halfon seems to have conveniently forgotten he is part of this government.  The fact that he is apparently powerless to challenge Arriva on their failure to provide an adequate service for Harlow and instead must launch a petition, notably 4 months after local resident Hilda Cook did the same, and after the Labour group contacted Arriva directly and also raised the issue at Full Council, is surely a cause for concern.

One of the comments under the YH Harlow article about this petition correctly identifies that it was, in fact, the Conservative Government of the 1980’s which first deregulated this country’s bus services.  Part of the failure of this deregulation is that there is no duty for bus companies to maintain routes if they are not considered profitable. As a result many rural routes have been cut and towns like Harlow have seen less profitable routes slashed.

Some County Council’s have taken their bus services back in house, but with over a decade of cuts to local government finances this isn’t an option for all councils.  

“The solution to the problems caused by cuts to bus routes, like those inflicted upon Harlow residents, must come from central government.  Those companies who can’t maintain their service should have their contracts taken away from them and replaced with a co-operative model where bus users and drivers have a greater say over how their service is run.