Public transport leader: Why I simply can’t get by without a car

Bethan Dorsett

August 20, 2010

A member of the region’s public transport authority says it is ‘totally impractical’ for him to use buses and trains to get to meetings.

Since February Coun Dylan Butt has claimed just over £100 for car travel and parking to attend the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority.

Coun Butt travels 80 miles a day for his full-time job in rural Samlesbury, Lancashire, from his Altrincham home.

He said using public transport between his home, work and the meetings in Manchester city centre would mean spending most of his day on trams, trains and buses.

He said: "From my home, I would spend half my day in travelling time if I was to use public transport. It would become totally impractical to try and attend council meetings and undertake other responsibilities such as on the GMITA without using a car to and from these locations."

The expenses claim was revealed as Trafford town hall became the first council in Greater Manchester to post councillors’ travel claims online.

Trafford also paid more than £700 for a councillor to travel to leadership courses – two months before he left.

James Pearson travelled to London and Warwick for courses aimed at rising stars within local authorities.

But in May, two months after completing the final course, he quit to get married and serve in Afghanistan with the Territorial Army.

Mr Pearson claimed £711 to travel by car and public transport for the council and government-funded courses for five weekends up until March 6.

He said the courses assisted him in representing the borough on external bodies, including his chairmanship of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Authority.

Now living in Windsor, he said: "I was in a senior leadership position at the age of 26 and it was good that Trafford Council supported me. I volunteered to go to Afghanistan and I didn’t think it was fair for me to hold these positions any longer so I decided it was time to step down."

Council leader Matt Colledge said: "Publishing expenses is part of making Trafford council more accountable"

Claims online date back to March 2008.

Several councillors claimed money to travel to meetings, including Coun Colledge, who asked for £95, ex-mayor Coun Bernard Sharp, who requested £270 and Coun Alan Mitchell, who put in for more than £500.

Coun Sean Anstee claimed £145 for taking public transport to an ‘introduction to local government’ course in London.

The information for claims between April and June is available at trafford.gov.uk/members expenses.

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Showing comments 1 to 16 and replies | View All

Patrick Sudlow (20/08/2010 at 10:48)

If they had not replaced the train with the tram the councillor would have travelled quite quickly by train to Lancashire. Also the train is quicker than the car because of congestion. And of course on the train he can get some business done which he could not do driving his car. He can even keep in touch safely and legally. It is the fact that those in charge of our public transport do not use it. So how do they know anything about it? Just as Leese claims he cycles and walks to work but still needs a chauffeured limousine? They live in another world and it is not this one.

Patrick Sudlow.
Hulme Green Party

Trumpetman21, In your missus (20/08/2010 at 11:00)

Well don't try and force road users onto expensive & cramped public transport then!

PW, Manchester (20/08/2010 at 11:58)

Welcome to the real world of work.

Elaine Savage (20/08/2010 at 12:09)

Doesn't he realise that this is proof of how inconvenient public transport is and that it needs a complete overhaul? I struggled on public transport for many years and when I finally gave in and bought a car it was because my journey to work was taking me over an hour and a half and I was having to get taxis for the last leg of the journey most evenings due to being stranded when buses did not turn up. In my car, the journey took me 15 to 20 minutes. No contest. I think all public transport workers should be forced to use public transport and then they would soon be crying out for an overhaul of it.

Master of Nothing, Manchester (20/08/2010 at 13:19)

One wonders if the penny is dropping - people don't use public transport because it is overpriced, dirty, unsafe, irregular, doesn't service most of Manchester and time consuming.

I drive a 20 minute journey to work, one that would take me 65minutes to conduct by public transport, and cost me twice as much.

It is the only country I've worked in where the car has been quicker/most cost effective than the public transport alternative.

citycentre, manchester (20/08/2010 at 15:00)

Well the people were offered the choice, and made their decision, now we live with it. I am not sure how you expect it to become cleaner, more regular and more wide spread (all of which will cost) at the same time as cheaper?
In no other country was it possible to make journies faster by car than PT? Where, Sark?

Master of Nothing, Manchester (20/08/2010 at 17:40)

Ah yes - the con charge which actually wouldn't have improved public transport at all. The improvements tabled were replacements for existing modes of travel (trams instead of trains) and for a few extra lines in the already well-served south of Manchester. Live in the sticks (Bury, Bolton etc) and you've no chance.
And having worked in Madrid, Paris, Cologne, Brussels and a few other cities - public transport was quicker, easier to use and much cheaper than the car. For instance in Madrid you enter the underground system and pay a €1 to go wherever you want. Public Transport is horrifically expensive in the UK, and is all about profit.

Green Goblin, Piccadilly Gardens (21/08/2010 at 11:08)

" citycentre, manchester (20/08/2010 at 15:00)
Well the people were offered the choice, and made their decision, now we live with it. I am not sure how you expect it to become cleaner, more regular and more wide spread (all of which will cost) at the same time as cheaper?
In no other country was it possible to make journies faster by car than PT? Where, Sark? "

In Prague you pay 26Kc (85p) for a 'transfer ticket' that's valid for 90 minutes on all underground services, trams and buses citywide. They're fast, clean and efficient - and have security and occasionally police on patrol to ensure safe journeys for everyone.

View all 6 replies

UmBongo UmBongo, Drinking in the Congo (20/08/2010 at 15:13)

This makes Coun Dylan Butt sound like a bit of a bumbling pratt.

MarkDubya, Somewhere in Salford (20/08/2010 at 16:20)

Why?

d1v1s1onby0, Out of Delhi and back in Wigan. Pies oh how I have missed you (20/08/2010 at 16:00)

Aren't these the same reasons we all dont use it?

Citycenter - yes we made our choice not to be ripped off with the CON charge and still got the benefits anyway, but a bigger and extanded load of crap is still crap.
We do however now have the option of still using our cars without being robbed for the priviledge.

Michael Higginson (21/08/2010 at 14:10)

If you think we are getting the same benefits we would have under the tif then you are wrong, we have got SOME of the benefits and now its eveyone in GM who has to pay, no just those who clog up the roads.

MarkDubya, Somewhere in Salford (20/08/2010 at 16:19)

Seriously, who cares? £100 fuel and parking since February is nothing - his public transport would surely have cost more! Cut him some slack for goodness sake.

salfordrat (20/08/2010 at 20:36)

Two words - video. Conference. Oh, three: liar.

Andy, Wythenshawe (20/08/2010 at 20:44)

Hasn't he (and many others in a similar position) heard of the internet.

Most 'meetings' can be held via conference video links quite easily saving time and increasing productivity.

Instead of holding courses 100's of miles away, bring the trainers to the customers, it's all down to planning.

RedRef, Manchester (20/08/2010 at 22:56)

Since February Coun Dylan Butt has claimed just over £100 for car travel and parking to attend the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority.

I think that's very reasonable!

Michael Higginson (21/08/2010 at 14:11)

Why does he live 80 miles away from his job? Surely it would be better for him to move closer.

kindofnew (22/08/2010 at 01:12)

In order to get cheap public transport you have to be prepared to pay for it by other means, ie TAX. Something that no one in this country seems to want to do. Very little of the transport here in manchester recives a subsidy, hence the high fares - each operator has to make a profit.

Sensible Stockport (22/08/2010 at 13:10)

The web address provided by the MEN is incorrect (no surprise there!).

Visit:

http://www.trafford.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemocracy/CouncillorsAndCommittees/membersexpenses.asp

Roy Cropper's alter ego, Denton (23/08/2010 at 14:19)

Greater Manchester ITA is there to provide the best possible public transport WITHIN Greater Manchester - political, legislative and financial constraints notwithstanding. So why does someone working outside GM sit on the ITA? He should resign his post. Also, I wonder how accurately, the ITA represents the Council tax-payer. One third of adults in the county can't/don't drive, and as the ITA is supposed to represent the needs of those more than any other - at least one third of ITA members should be non-motorists, and none should ever have to resort to chauffer driven cars. If they do, its an admission of their failure.

Fool, on the hill (25/08/2010 at 08:55)

I felt the same when they proposed a congestion charge. The theory is fine and the application ideal - for other people.

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