Local Bus Fares Up 50% As Labour Cash Raid Kicks In

Lib Dems are calling on the Labour Government to scrap the bus tax which kicked in over the new year. Fares are up by 50% in England, meaning here in Norwich a trip into the city and back now costs £6. Buses are vital for so many across our community and are a key component in our ongoing effort to keep our air clean and roads clear. This Government should be investing in services which will boost the country’s struggling town centres and high streets. But it’s working people who are bearing the brunt of Labour’s failure to get economic growth going. From scrapping Winter Fuel Payments to refusing to scrap the two-child benefit cap, Labour have sought to penny-pinch at every opportunity. If only the government played the same penny-pinching tactics with tax evaders, big multinationals, and the social media giants as they do with hardworking people in Norwich.

James Hawketts, Lib Dem campaigner for University Ward said:
“Labour’s bus tax will clobber people across the country, especially those on low incomes, who could now be paying the equivalent of a 9% tax rise. This decision is totally flawed. It makes travelling more expensive for working people and will make congestion worse.”

The Lib Dems are calling for the rise to be reversed and the £2 bus cap to remain in place to protect commuters from suffering more financial pain after years of “economic vandalism" under the Conservatives. Back our petition online at www.LibDems.org.uk/Bus.