SU to tackle bus companies

The Students’ Union has launched a campaign against rising bus fares through a Facebook group, a petition on the Union web page and a free ‘party bus’ from campus to Leamington on Friday of Week One.

The Facebook group was set up on the 30th of March, successfully attracting membership of over 1000 in its first five days. The sign up rate slowed but the group had attained 1381 members on 17th April.

The major motivation behind the campaign is the continuous rapid rise in bus fares by 61 per cent over the last five years according to SU statistics, whilst the student loan has only increased by a mere 13 per cent.

On the Union website, students were encouraged to sing a petition supporting the following statement: “I believe that the rate of increase in bus fares over the past five years has been too high, especially in comparison to the rate of increase in the student loan during the same period. I call on the bus companies to make bus travel more affordable for students, a low-income group of society.” Students has to login to their account in order to support this petition.

Yet, the Union’s pledge of making “bus travel more affordable for students” carries no explicit message on whether the Union demands a full scale bus fare reduction or merely urging the bus company to stagnate the bus fares.

“At this stage we are just aiming to get their attention,” explained Glyde “we are not worried about (explicit bus fare) negotiation just yet.”

Glyde further noted that the current bus fare trend is not sustainable for students and bus companies will need to “sit up and listen” to student voices.

“We completely understand that Travel Coventry and Stagecoach are trying to run a business in a difficult economic climate but students are facing the same economic pressures. Bus travel needs to be made more affordable for this low-income group in society.”

The last bus fare increase was at the start of Term Two, where both Stage Coach and Travel Coventry have raised their return fare to £2.90 respectively, a 61 per cent from the price of £1.80 back in the year of 2004.

In the first Friday of Term Three, the Union will arrange a free bus service directed from the university campus to the south of Leamington in protest of the rapidly rising bus fares.

The Union’s ‘party bus’ will be at service from 10am to 3pm throughout the day. The Union strongly encouraged students to use the free service whenever possible, in support the campaign.

The bus companies have not been informed about the ‘party bus’ campaign. Pidgeon explained this is due to the fact that the Union intended to “make an impact” before contacting the bus companies.

Pidgeon said several local media have been informed about the campaign and the Union will alert the bus companies in a short period of time.

“We realise that this is an issue that affects a lot of people in the community, not just students.” Pidgeon concluded. “While we are pushing this from a student perspective, the bus companies need to make bus travel more affordable for all.”