Tories refuse to reconsider Pegasus School Buses

11.30.00pm GMT Tue 3rd Nov 2009

Pegasus school buses carry 800 primary school children to 14 schools

The Conservative Cabinet at County Hall have refused to reconsider their decision to axe the Pegasus school buses as from July 2010. The Tory administration is reneging on a decision made only last December 2008 to continue the service for at least two more years until July 2011. The Conservatives do one thing before the election and another thing after.

County Councillor David Goodwin, Liberal Democrat spokesman for Transport said: "This was a pilot project which has not been properly assessed for other options such us increased fares, reduced costs and alternative sources of funding. No such quantitative report has been produced to demonstrate that the service could be made more viable. If the Conservatives had been serious about providing the service they would have carried out a detailed feasibility study, which has not been the case."

He added: "This is typical of the Conservative approach to public services. They know the price of everything and the value of nothing. Cutting the service without proper assessment means that all the money and investment in the purchase of twenty two buses has gone to waste, schools will lose a valuable service, parents will have to find a way to transport the children to and from school and all the roads around 14 schools will have their congestion increased."