Bus companies putting profit before services

Bus companies are prioritising making bigger profits over providing decent services a new survey provided to MPs has found.

The details of the survey contained in RMT evidence published by the Parliamentary Transport Select Committee Inquiry into the bus industry which is taking evidence from the unions and bus employers today.

The RMT survey of bus workers found that 72% of bus workers believed their company prioritised making a profit over providing a service.

The survey provided to MPs also found that:

*   76% of bus workers did not think that there was enough funding for bus services

*   Only 2% of bus workers thought that the government had good policies for the bus industry.

*   84% of bus workers said they believed bus services should be publicly owned and operated.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: “It should be a massive concern to both national and local politicians that the vast majority of workers on the frontline responsible for delivering our bus services believe that not only is there insufficient funding for our buses but that on top of this the private bus companies are prioritising making bigger profits over providing a decent service.”

“It is perhaps no surprise that bus workers also overwhelmingly support public ownership of the bus industry.

“With services in decline and vulnerable and isolated communities taking the brunt of the cuts it is now clear that decades of bus privatisation has failed and we need a new national strategy for our buses underpinned by public ownership. This would not only radically improve services but by ending profiteering would result in a total gain of half a billion pounds each year.”