South Gloucestershire Council has passed a motion opposing further bus cuts amid a row over who is to blame. The ruling Conservative group tabled the proposal at a full council meeting on Wednesday night (October 12), saying 26 services in the district have been axed under Labour metro mayor Dan Norris, who oversees the region’s transport as head of the West of England Combined Authority (Weca).
It accused Mr Norris of wasting £8million for Weca to move into new “luxury” offices, claiming that money could instead be spent protecting or restoring vital bus routes, and demanded that the decision be scrapped. Amendments removing references to the office row, which broke out back in May, were submitted by both the Labour and Lib Dem opposition parties.
Labour group leader Cllr Pat Rooney said the combined authority had no choice but to find a new HQ because the landlord of its current base, near Bristol Temple Meads, had told all tenants, including Weca, to leave by December, and that it was officers, not the metro mayor, who took the decision where to move. Her amendment blamed bus cuts on the Government, privatisation and a driver shortage.
