No. 73 Routemaster, 1,951 seats and 160 jobs AXED thanks to Livingstone and EU 17/08/04

'"Let them wait - and stand too!" says Livingstone'

Thousands of Tottenham commuters will soon be forced to wait longer for a no. 73 bus - and are more likely to be forced to stand when it does eventually turn up, warn Tottenham Conservatives.

From September, Transport for London (TfL) will reduce the frequency of the no. 73 service and halve the number of seats on this popular route. If Mayor Livingstone has his way, the 55 Routemasters which currently run from Tottenham to Victoria Station will be replaced by just 41 bendy buses. That means seat numbers will be cut from 3,960 to just 2,009 - a net loss of 1,951 seats. Each 'bendy-bus' will cost TfL a whopping £200,000 - which perhaps explains why 160 staff are set to lose their jobs in this controversial move.

William MacDougall, Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Tottenham, wants Ken Livingstone, the London Mayor, to think again.

Mr MacDougall said:

"The 73 bus is a highly popular route, carrying over 15 million people a year. I am worried about the elderly who will be forced to stand when the bendy buses are introduced in September. It also worries me that 160 bus employees will lose their jobs at a time when the jobs market is getting worse.

"TfL blame European legislation for axing the Routemaster. Yet again the EU has proved itself to be a meddling, bureaucratic organisation which is totally out of touch with London's needs. Livingstone must fight this barmy EU decision: we must not be bullied into scrapping our popular and effective Routemaster buses especially when this will mean cuts in services and jobs."

ENDS.