YOUR student correspondent, Daniel Hackett, wants to know what First Bus are using the extra 30p fare increase for (Letters, March 21). The answer is, of course, that along with the cuts in services and subsidies from the taxpayer, they make up the massive profits that First Group make.
In the last financial year First Group made £48m profit. Despite this Richard Harris, First's Commercial Director, demands more subsidy! More taxpayers' money to line the pockets of the 'fat cats' and shareholders who, of course, don't use First's di
re service.
More subsidies but more fare increases and more cuts in services – it's easy money isn't it, Mr Harris?
Leeds is by no means alone in having such a poor bus service In Bristol, First were the subject of a public inquiry, maybe we should be pushing for one here too.
It's totally hypocritical for Paul Trusswell and all the others in Parliament to be complaining about the cuts in services when this is entirely due to privatisation and will not improve until the transport system is brought back into public ownership.
Only then can we have a decent service run by local people who are democratically accountable and any profit made can be put back into the services. First Group and all the other private operators should not receive a penny in subsidy. That is the free market, after all. .
Kevin Wilson, Cottingley
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