Prospective Labour MP Michael Powell has launched an internet campaign to improve Colchester's public transport system.  Michael  has created a group on the Facebook site which anyone can sign up to, in order to co-ordinate information-sharing, lobbying and campaigning to try and win improvements to services.

Michael, who is set to stand against Colchester MP Bob Russell at the next General Election, said he is experimenting with the tactic because conventional means of liaising with bus operator First have been so unsuccessful.  He said: "First have really disgraced themselves recently, using this summer's "consultation exercise" as a PR smokescreen to mask their true intention of slashing services in order to feed the greed of their shareholders.

Their recent partial U-turn on cuts to the 65 route shows First have been forced to admit that their profit-driven cuts have created dangerous overcrowding on peaktime services.  "I wrote to First saying their top priority should be establishing a direct bus route between the town's most deprived ward and the general hospital, and I didn't even get a reply. Greenstead residents are among those least likely to have access to a car, so preventing them from having a decent bus service to the hospital is effectively reducing their access to health care."  Michael added: "The Tories' deregulation of buses in the mid-1980s has proved a disaster. Fares have soared, services have been cut and passenger numbers have declined everywhere, except the one place where they have remained regulated - London.

If public transport is too important to left to the free market in London, why is it ok to subject us to it here. "No Government can expect people to switch from their cars to public transport when bus and train services are treated by their operators as a licence to print money, rather than running them like other countries do, as a public service.

By introducing bus franchising, private operators would be forced to guarantee service standards and fare levels set by the local authority, before they were allowed to operate a service.  "I don't think voters will put up with any more talk of green taxes and road pricing from politicians until public transport is taken back under public control." 

He added: "We also need action to make sure Colchester 2020's aspiration of creating a proper road/rail interchange at Hythe station comes to pass urgently. By having through trains to and from London calling here, it will improve public transport provision in east Colchester, reduce congestion around North Station, and mitigate the effects of all the new housing being built around the Hythe on the already-overstretched road network."  

If you are a member of Facebook (www.facebook.com) The group is titled Make Public transport a public service in Colchester or follow this link http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6385218713&ref=mf