Impassioned plea for better bus services in County Durham

Councillor Stacey Deinali argued cuts to bus services would lead to more isolation, poverty and poor health for people in rural communities.

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She has submitted a petition calling on Durham County Council to review the money provided to bus companies and ask the Government to fund bus services fully.

She told a full council meeting: "Many people from disadvantaged rural areas across County Durham have been faced with significant problems due to the cuts in bus services.

"Within the most rural areas of County Durham, some bus routes have been completely cancelled.

"The residents are now having to find alternative ways to travel to work, to health appointments and to educational settings.

"And in some cases, people have lost their jobs due to not being able to get there on time.

"This is happening in many areas where there are high levels of disadvantaged and low-waged families.

"Since the cuts to services I have received case after case from across the county explaining their situation and pleading with me to do something to help them.

"One person expressed how she had hit financial difficulty as she no longer had a bus service that would enable her to get her children to school on time.

"She had to make the choice between her children being an hour late for school or having to pay the expense of a taxi every morning in order to get them there.

"A difficult choice when you have to choose between your children having their entitlement to education or being able to afford to buy food and pay bills."

In another case, she said taxi fares to a neighbouring village to catch a bus to work were exceeding a parent's earnings.

Cllr Dienali told councillors: "Every person should be able to easily access vital services in order to meet their basic needs and human rights.

"Public transport plays an important part in ensuring that communities remained connected.

"No community should be left behind.

"By cancelling these services communities are being let down and left behind. Where is the levelling up for our rural communities?"

The Labour member, who represents the Blackhalls division, said forcing people to use taxis or struggle to afford cars would also increase pollution at a time of climate emergency.

She said rural communities would be further isolated and disadvantaged by a planned digital switchover turning off copper wiring in 2025.

She asked: "Where will our residents in rural communities be in three years' time when they can't get to a workplace?

"What will happen when they're unable to access the internet to be able to work from home?

"I will tell you where this will end - with many more families in County Durham forced into poverty, many more people isolated and many more people with poor mental and physical health.

"There must be a solution. This is why residents of County Durham have signed this petition."

The petition asks the council to review subsidies made to bus companies, "to ensure that they're utilised effectively so that the most disadvantaged rural areas of County Durham have key services that support residents".

It also calls on the council to petition the Government to "fully fund bus services in order to support residents in accessing work and education".

It urges the council to analyse the bus service cuts' effects.

The petition was met with applause, but no questions or debate were allowed on it.

It will be sent to the relevant service in the council for a response.

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