Uncertainty over First Bus petition triggering council debate
A PETITION set up to reduce fares on First Bus services has reached its goal of 3,500.
But the campaign, set up by 33-year-old graphic designer Daniel Farr, has not triggered a council debate as it was lodged on the Number 10 website.
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Banner at the Make Fares Fair rally earlier this month
The Bristol City Council Petitions Scheme states that e-petitions need to be set up through their website.
However, the council has said a new petition will now be started on their website with all signatures from people who live or work in Bristol carried over eventually.
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Mr Farr told The Post he was confident the petition would still be discussed at a full council meeting.
Mr Farr said: “I am working with Mark Bradshaw (Lab) to sort something out at the moment. I think it should be all right though the way it is going.”
He added: “I was very pleased to get to 3,500 but it was a lot of hard work. I’m not giving up though and I think it can reach 5,000 eventually.”
The council's petitions document reads: “If a petition contains more than 3,500 signatures from people who live, work or study in the city it will trigger the right to be debated by the full council. This means that the issue raised in the petition will be discussed at a meeting which all councillors can attend.”
Mr Farr’s achievement follows a meeting with mayor George Ferguson, who has signed the petition, last week.
First Bus have announced a review of their fares since the petition was started in December, 2012.
Spokeswoman for First Bus South West and Wales Karen Baxter said the company will be encouraging passengers to engage with the consultation. She added that the consultation is set to be launched soon.
3 Comments
by johnneyw
Saturday, February 23 2013, 10:43PM
“by FADINGING
Wednesday, February 20 2013, 10:19PM
."i heard mr farr on local radio other day saying he spends £36 a week(£6a day traveling from bristol to backwell so why dont he buy a weekly ticket its £22 a saving of £14 a week"
I doesn't buy one of them because my work patterns render them of no benefit...plus they would still be extortionate anyway.”
by DM_Fishponds
Thursday, February 21 2013, 6:47AM
“Bristol City Council has recent history of disregarding public opinion. A 1,600-signature petition regarding the Fishponds GBBN fiasco was ignored by the Executive Members and project team because it was submitted AFTER the informal consultation was concluded and BEFORE the formal consultation began! Unfortunately the council only admitted the petition was being ignored AFTER the formal consultation ended!
Let's hope that the previous Executive Members are asked to explain why GBBN has not been as effective as they promised in making public transport in Bristol faster and cheaper!
Perhaps we can expect a similar performance to that at January's Full Council meeting regarding the Westbury Road campaigners' petition against GBBN?
To see the debate on GBBN at January's Full Council meeting, select the following web page:
http://tinyurl.com/b7kau7u
. . . then look in the right-hand box marked "Time Line" and select the following time:
00:45:33 Petition on Greater Bristol Bus Network
Down to
01:12:25 Cllr Peter Main – Lord Mayor
I'm looking forward to hearing some very awkward questions asked of recent Transport Executive Members!”
by FADINGING
Wednesday, February 20 2013, 10:19PM
“i heard mr farr on local radio other day saying he spends £36 a week(£6a day traveling from bristol to backwell so why dont he buy a weekly ticket its £22 a saving of £14 a week”