Labour and Tory Councillors silence opposition on school bus cuts
April 23, 2010 12:34 PM
Jo has condemned the Labour-Tory Council administration for stonewalling attempts to reverse cuts to free school bus services.
At a meeting of East Dunbartonshire Council last night, Labour and Tory Councillors voting to prevent a Liberal Democrat motion on reversing school bus cuts being debated.
The Liberal Democrats put forward a motion to suspend the Council's standing orders in orders in order to debate Lib Dem proposal to reverse the Council's decision to cut free school bus services. However, because Labour and Tory Councillors voted against the motion, the matter could not even be debated.
Many parents and their children turned up to the meeting to show their support for the Lib Dem proposals, however the Council claimed there was not enough room for them and put them in an adjacent room, to listen via audio feed. As the votes were read out, several Labour and Tory Councillors did not switch on their microphones, so parents could not hear how they voted.
Commenting, Jo said:
"I am deeply disappointed that Labour and Tory Councillors did not see fit even to discuss the possibility to stopping these cuts to free school buses. There has been huge opposition from parents across East Dunbartonshire to the Council's decision to make these cuts, and I have spoken to a great many parents who urged their local Councillors to vote to reverse the cuts.
"By voting against the Lib Dem motion, Labour and Tory Councillors are jeopardising children's safety and condemning us all to more traffic on the roads and more air pollution.
"I am also surprised that the Council was not better prepared for the number of people who turned up for the meeting. Parents were willing to stand if it meant they could be in the room, and in the past this has been allowed. The Council knew there would be a large showing of people there to oppose the cuts, and they should have been ready to accommodate them."
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