Police and Crime Commissioner speaks out against transport cuts

The Police and Crime Commissioner has spoken out as local transport bosses fear big cuts loom for travel operators across the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear.

North East bus services face major cuts and the Government’s Covid bailout funding for the Metro is due to be axed at the end of next March, causing great uncertainty.

The warnings come just weeks after PCC Kim McGuinness vowed to prioritise women’s safety and announced nearly £250k is being channelled into a range of measures to improve safety across public transport in the Northumbria Police force area.

Kim said: “Our public transport is vital. It plays such an important part in many of our lives here in the North East, helping us get to work, school and to see friends and family.

“Without access to good transport services, so much is put in jeopardy - income, education and healthcare. This really is the last thing the region needs - especially as we all know we are already one of the most deprived areas in the country.”

She continued: “We’ve just secured Safer Streets funding to make some real improvements to help make our transport systems safer too. But with cuts in other areas all the transport systems that help people get from A to B are being denied the chance to better the service they offer local people.

“Sustainable travel options like the Metro need to be grown and developed not left facing 40 per cent cuts or even potential closures. If the Government doesn’t go back on this we could have a real transport crisis on our hands. Local people don’t need this.”

“It really is just another example of the North South Divide. No HS2 Eastern leg, no Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR). The list goes on. Once again I ask what levelling up is happening? I just don’t see it.”

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