Birmingham is up the road but there are no buses': privatisation a dead end for Ludlow

"You can't get a bus to Birmingham today, it's impossible. It is really just up the road, our big regional centre but there are no buses. How ridiculous is that? said Philip Adams. Adams, who has lived in Ludlow for many years, remembers the bygone days of the poppy red buses of the Midland Red company toing and froing to Birmingham, until the publicly owned business was broken up in 1981 and sold off under Margaret Thatcher's deregulation and privatisation agenda."

"According to data from the thinktank Common Wealth, the county has suffered one of the biggest reductions in bus routes in the UK over the past six years, with a 60% reduction in kilometres travelled by bus. A survey of passenger experiences of Ludlow's bus routes, conducted by the town's sustainable transport group, revealed how people, particularly elderly residents, were suffering from this devastation of public transport."

"According to Common Wealth's research, the same picture is repeated across the country. Since privatisation, services have collapsed but bus and train ticket prices have risen above inflation every year since 1987. A Midland Red bus. The company was broken up in 1981 and sold off under Margaret Thatcher's deregulation and privatisation agenda. Photograph: Tony Smith/Alamy More than 16bn has been paid in dividends to the owners of bus and train companies"

Ludlow lacks a direct bus to nearby Birmingham, leaving residents dependent on cars despite the town being about 40 miles away. The Midland Red company once provided frequent routes until it was broken up and sold in 1981 under deregulation and privatisation. Since privatisation, bus services in Shropshire have repeatedly collapsed, producing a 60% reduction in kilometres travelled in six years. Confusing timetables, gaps of up to four hours, and irregular service have especially harmed elderly passengers. Bus and train ticket prices have risen above inflation annually since 1987, while more than 16bn has been paid in dividends to company owners.

Read at www.theguardian.com