| Sunday November 9th: Speak out against transit privatization!
WHEN: 1PM SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9th
WHERE: MAIN STREET SKYTRAIN STATION
WHAT: STREET THEATRE PERFORMANCE and LETTER WRITING DRIVE
Contact the Bus Riders Union at 604-215-2775 or email busridersunion@gmail.com for more information. |
Crowded
buses. Skyrocketing fares. Long waits. Bus riders need relief – but
it's not going to come from the new TransLink CEO, Thomas Prendergast.
Mr. Prendergast was president of the Long Island Rail Road, the
largest commuter railroad in the United States, from 1994 to 2000.
Under
Prendergast's management, riders suffered air conditioning failures,
undercarriage fires and breakdowns that were due to neglected or faulty
maintenance. These problems were at least partly caused by
Prendergast's difficulties with labour and management.
In 2000 and 2001, Mr. Prendergast led an international team that
bid for a major public/private partnership contract with the London
Underground.
Since taking over the job of TransLink CEO, bus
riders haven't seen much of Mr. Prendergast. He certainly isn't
transit dependent, since his annual wage will be over $300,000 per
year.
But he's found the time to reach out to the business
community. In fact, he gave his first public speech as TransLink CEO
to the downtown Vancouver business improvement association.
What
does privatization mean for bus riders? It means that we pay for
expensive Public Private Partnerships like the Canada Line, instead of
buying more buses and lower fares. It means that we don't have
democratic control over our transit system. It means longer waits and
overcrowded buses.
Join the BRU for an action on November 9th to send a message to Mr.
Prendergast, and to Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon. Let them
know that people are more important than profit– and bus riders demand
an end to the privatization of our public transit system.
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