Car parking fees drove out visitors to town
CONGRATULATIONS to Angela Rayner, MP for Ashton under Lyne, and Brenda Warrington, Executive Leader of Tameside (Labour) Council.
Suspending Ring Go’s parking system in Ashton under Lyne as being discriminatory is about the only thing either have done for the town, since being appointed.
The system is discriminatory, relying on people having a mobile phone, and what’s more having inclusive ‘free’ calls. Not everyone does, especially the older driver, so they pay more to park.
A mark of the effect on this kind of parking charge system has been the virtual desertion of, what were, busy parking spots, to the huge loss effect on local small businesses, and the use of supermarket car parking instead.
Keith Sales, Ashton under Lyne
Must put public first
THE views of the ex-bus manager has sent me off on a rant (Trams get the money while buses suffer cuts, MEN Viewpoints, January 1). There’s always two sides to a story.
Many of the ex-bus managers are now shareholders and they just can’t manage in my opinion.
When Mrs Thatcher’s policy of privatisation came into law in October 1986 some put profits before the people.
Mr Stringer always supported public ownership, and he had our full support as trade union representatives at the time when we had proper trade unions.
Massive profits were made when the council, through the Passenger Transport Executive, ran our services.
The profits were put back into the bus infrastructure, which included jobs and a better service.
We always had clean buses, even on routes that were seen as uneconomical.
But people were put first – it was a service. A service for the poor and elderly who had no free bus passes and poor pensions.
We had conductors: two men operated the bus. There was no fare dodging, no fraud, no vandalism, no counterfeit free passes, no graffiti. People were helped on and off, especially the elderly and disabled – it was a public service and Mr Stringer was always in the front line supporting it.
One could go on about the massive advantages of having public transport in the people’s hands.
Mrs Thatcher’s government introduced turned the buses over to the private sector because she said they were losing money.
But if that was the case, why was it handed over to private shareholders? And why is it making more money for private shareholders?
I was not aware that people came before profits in private shareholders company’s.
A decent integrated transport system is vital for the local economy.
Warren Bates, ex-trade union official
Much to look forward to
QUESTION: what makes a country a nation? It must be its history, culture, language, coinage, judicial system, a national flag, and an anthem.
Systematically, the EU has tried to subject these national markers.
The British people, luckily, denied them the pound.
There is now a flag and an anthem, a judiciary which can override national rulings.
Now there is serious talk of a European army.
Borders are erased making one huge country ruled by an unelected cohort of which none are British, gone is the Magna Carta and true democracy.
People who wish to remain believe that my beloved country cannot survive alone. We won’t be.
Brexiteers wish to be trading partners as we used to be, but free, and able to trade with our Commonwealth, a world-wide organisation started by Britain, and which more countries ask to join.
Brexiteers look forward to building trade with emerging African and South American economies.
This will take time, cooperation, expense and good will.
There are markets in Asia to be explored, remember only approx 41pc of our trade now is with EU.
Our young people have much to look forward to. Wider horizons, opportunities beyond Europe. They need to have faith in themselves, their inherited language and entrepreneurial culture.
Margaret Molloy, Wythenshawe