Cabinet set to close down rural bus links after Conservatives dismissed reasons for a rethink
THE death knell is expected to be rung this evening on subsidised bus travel on a number of rural routes across the borough.
Thurrock Council's Cabinet will review a number of call-ions against its decision to cut those bus services, and the outcome of an overview and scrutiny committee meeting earlier this month when three Conservative councillors outvoted two Labour ones to reject more than 40 call-ins from the public and community groups across the borough opposing the cuts.
The recommendation for the cabinet is for it members to implement the cuts, which will mean the end of services linking Bulphan, East Tilbury Village, Horndon on the Hill, North Stifford, West Tilbury, and western parts of Aveley.
East Tilbury and Linford will lose all bus provision.
At the Planning Transport and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee councillors Lee Watson (Labour) and Fraser Massey (Independent) and local resident Dave Bowling challenged the council to support the call-ins and reinstate all the bus services.
Each made passionate arguments that the service cuts were unjust and would punosh the elderly, isolated and vulnerable members of the community.
Those arguments were brushed aside by the portfolio holder for transport, Cllr Ben Maney who said that projected rises in the cost of the subsidies were no longer affordable in the wake of the council's financial collapse.
He told the meeting: "When I presented this to cabinet, I made it very clear at the time, this wasn't an easy decision, not one taken rashly.
"Realistically it comes down to the costs of running these services. They are not statutory.
"They cost over £450,000 and the cost will be rising to around £750,000.
"While I appreciate the difficulties it will cause to some people in rural circumstances we have to look at those costs."
He also challenged the real need for the services, saying the reason they were subsidised was because not enough people wanted to use them,. And he challenged councillors who had voted for the services to say as being 'hypocritical' because they did not use buses. "How many councillors travelled here tonight by bus?" he asked.
He also rejected an argument that a consultation held by the council, launched almost exactly a year ago, did not reflect the true position and importance of the services, saying: "I cannot dispute strongly enough that the consultation was somehow flawed. I don't really know what more we could have done to reach people.
"I find it bizarre that members of this committee are saying it was flawed when previously they held it up as an example of how to do it.
"There is a lot of emotion about that and I understand that."
But he then rebuked them for not coming up with practical alternative council savings.
"It's a bit simplistic to say we don't like the decision but we are not going to give you an examples of how to find savings.
"I am glad democracy is in action but I find it hypocritical.
"This decision was not taken lightly, there was a long period between the end of the consultation and stressed there was no legal requirement for the council to provide the services.
"It was clear there would be people that would be disadvantaged by the decision to withdraw the subsidy and it was very clear that some of those people would be vulnerable people.
"At the same time that has to be balanced alongside what is in the interest of the council and the taxpayer generally. And those rapidly increasing costs I'm afraid topped the balance for me
"There are a very small number of people in these communities who actually do rely on this. It wasn't a decision taken purely on economics, there was a quality impact assessment, cabinet had due regard for that
"We looked carefully at our decision and decided on balance it's the right thing to do. It's not a council service, it's a non statutory service.
"When we decided to fund them it was never going to be for ever and a day. We have funded them for a number of years Now is an appropriate time to review that when you factor in the increasing cost of the service and all things considered it's the right decision to make."
Cllr Watson said she still believed the council was picking on 'the vulnerable and disabled that are going to be impacted', while in am emotive speech Mr Bowling accused the Tories, who he has previously publicly damned for leading the council down the path of financial collapse through their incompetence and disregard for diligence, saying: "You are picking on the vulnerable in society."
Nub News will report on the outcome of this evening's meeting.
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