Statement

WEIR FIGHTS FOR EASIBUS IN ASSEMBLY

Posted on: February 15, 2010

Statement by Cllr Peter Weir DUP MLA for North Down, speaking in the Assembly debate on the Easibus Service in Bangor

“The decision to withdraw the Easibus Service from Bangor has been met with disgust and anger, uniting the Council, Omnibus and the general public in a fierce determination to have this decision overturned. The strength of feeling is shown by the level of support for the Petition on the subject, which will be presented to the Minister next week. People rightly see this as an attack on the elderly, the disabled and the vulnerable. People are asking questions such as why there was no proper period of consultation? Why was a decision taken to axe some of the services in Bangor at the beginning of 2010, when it is not even under consideration elsewhere until the summer?

We are told that this is due to economic pressure, lack of use, and that the Day-To-Day service can act as a suitable replacement. Yet none of this even makes sense for the public purse. The subsidy from the Department to Easibus in Bangor is only £38000 per year, which is hardly going to make a major financial contribution to the Department. It is claimed there is a lack of support, but Easibus in Bangor carries more than twice the number of passengers that Door-To-Door does. Similarly, it makes no economic sense. Easibus in Bangor has on average a subsidy of £1.50 per passenger, whereas each Door-To-Door journey costs on average over £20. Door-To-Door has a key role to play, but how does switching passengers from a £1.50 per head service to a £20 per head service make economic sense or good use of resources. The reality is that Door-To-Door will not be able to cope with the additional pressures, leaving many people frustrated and journeyless.

Behind this economic rationale and clear statistics, lies a range of human stories, of many Bangor elderly and disabled, for whom the ending of this service will mean isolation and being cut off from the Shopping Centre and the rest of Bangor. I appeal to the Minister, even at this late stage to reverse the decision and restore the Easibus service.”