Merthyr's School buses saved - for now

9.27.31am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 23rd Jul 2009

Merthyr Lib Dems have welcomed a u-turn from the council over school buses. Last night, in an unexpected announcement to council, independent leader Jeff Edwards capitulated to public pressure and called a moratorium on the plans to cut bus service for hundreds of school children.

Local Lib Dem campaigner, Amy Kitcher, said, "I am delighted that the independent councillors have finally seen sense and gone back on this ridiculous plan. The sad truth is that they put the safety of our children to the bottom of the pile. They should look to make savings closer to home first - like scrapping the mayor's budget and all the freebies for councillors. It is appalling that the council leaders put themselves before local children."

The plans for the school bus cuts were rushed through the back door, without any consultation of parents or schools. To add insult to injury, most of the independent councillors voted against even discussing the matter at full council.

Lib Dem group leader Kevin O'Connor added, "The Liberal Democrats are committed to open and transparent government. That means asking people their views and listening to their comments. It doesn't mean making decisions behind closed doors and then forcing them on local residents. I am appalled that the leaders of Merthyr council still consider this an acceptable way to make decisions."

Cutting the bus services would seriously impact on children's safety, would increase congestion as more parents drive their children to school and would be bad for the environment.

Local Lib Dem Assembly Member, Mike German, added "I welcome this u-turn from the council. Cutting school bus services puts barriers up for our children. We need to encourage school students in Merthyr to succeed, not make things more difficult for them. The council needs to make savings in these difficult times, but key services for children should be at the bottom of the list, not the top."