There has been much concern lately in political circles about the JAMs – people who are “just about managing”.
Most recently the Prime Minister has extended this by saying she wants a “shared society” and examples have been given of issues that are important to these people – e.g. health – and where the Government wants to help them.
Nowhere in this has transport been mentioned, still less bus travel. Our metropolitan-based media are interested only in the Southern rail dispute (which affects nobody outside the south east), and HS2, which will not reach north of Birmingham in my lifetime.
I suggest that bus services are very important to the JAMs, and maybe even more to the NQMs (not quite managing). Private Eye, to give it credit, has recognised this and that ongoing cuts in local authority budgets are causing serious damage.
In Cumbria, for example, it’s not just the deep rural services, which went years ago, but now whole inter-urban routes that are being withdrawn because they are not commercial and the county council cannot or will not fund them.
I trust that the industry’s leaders are using their vaunted contacts in political circles to get the message across that the JAMs need some bread and butter – adequate bus services with ongoing funding.
David Holding,
Chester-le-Street, Durham
