From My Bottom Step

Today’s newspaper (”Extended bus hours sought by pub fans“; Glynnis Mapp; London Free Press; 2007/07/25) paints a pretty disgusting response from London’s Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best with respect to the local campaign to get LTC hours extended.

Apparently, the Mayor isn’t satisfied that a group of concerned public transit users has identified a real problem and are trying to influence a positive change for the sake of our community.

The Mayor is quoted as saying that “the group needs to do more work before the schedule can be changed.” Why? Isn’t that what we’re paying local politicians and senior LTC staff to do?

The Mayor is also quoted as saying that “To get the project off the ground, the group needs support from local businesses and sponsors.” Why? Isn’t LTC support and the support of city staff and Council enough? Doesn’t this city purport to support alternate means of transportation, particularly public transit? That’s what the city’s Transportation Master Plan says.

The LTC’s Larry Ducharme is quoted as saying that the cost of extending bus hours “will have to come from a source other than the LTC.” Perhaps it’s time that London had some Londoners in senior LTC positions, people who actually use the system and have a vested interest in it’s operation.

To read my previous post on this inititiative, click here.