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Thursday, November 20, 2008, 21:32
Politicians have a reputation for saying one thing before they are elected then doing nothing about it after the poll, because it is either too difficult or because it goes against national party interest.
In this context, it is easy to see why the public are sceptical when they hear 'public consultation'.
To many of us, such initiatives sound like PR exercises, designed to show the company in a good light and a device which they can use at a later date to prove they are 'good listeners'.
In Bristol, bus company First has had more than its share of critics, a situation not improved by Wednesday's decision to cut services.
But now it has been revealed that, following debate with passengers, First has decided not to press ahead with plans which would have seen the main north to south route in Bristol split in two.
Around 300 people spoke out when the proposals for the 75, 76 and 77 buses were announced.
They told First that splitting the route would mean places like St Mary Redcliffe School and Southmead Hospital would be difficult to reach for some people.
Now First has responded by saying that the routes will remain, albeit with some modifications.
This is a great example of people power – an important issue which affects hundreds of people and a large company listening then responding.
It would be naive to think that this sort of result would happen every time there was 'public consultation' but it is to First's credit that it acted as it did.
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