Its time for First to Go…96.2 million reasons why they must!

9.57.54am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 1st Nov 2005

FirstBus in Sheffield are increasing fares again

Sheffield Liberal Democrats have responded to the First Groups decision to put fares up again, the forth time in a year and in some cases by a whopping 36%. They are calling for the licence to be taken away from First and a new operator to be brought in.

The First Group reported profits of £96.2million last year, the Liberal Democrats in Sheffield see this further increase as nothing more than a ploy to inflate the profits of the First Group. First Groups annual profit is up on previous years.

Cllr. Paul Scriven, Leader of Sheffield Liberal Democrats said

"The First Group have been taking Sheffield for a ride for far to long. They are providing a second rate service and charging us the paying public more, not for an efficient and reliable service, but to inflate their already high profits. Enough is enough its time for them to be thrown out and a new operator to be brought in"

"The Labour Council has now got to take action as previously threatened. The bus survey, the round table meetings and the lack of action from the top have achieved two things, higher fares and a less reliable service. Its time for the talking to stop and for action to begin. Anything else is just letting down the travelling public of Sheffield who are fed up to the back teeth with this operator and the excessive profits they are making"

"The process to get more bus operators into Sheffield should start today, we need to make it clear to First that your time is up and Sheffield will not tolerate this profiteering"