Windfall tax 'magic money tree' could fund free public transport says Derry Councillor

People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin, who brought the motion, cited the current hardship facing many residents and the marginalisation of people who cannot afford to access public transport.

The motion called for the council to write to Translink expressing its opposition to the fare increase and to the Department for Infrastructure to express its support for free public transport, which he said could be funded via a Windfall Tax.

Councillor Harkin said: “When we heard the announcement that Translink are raising their prices by 7% we probably thought: not another bill that’s going to increase for people. It was very disappointing and we believe that it’s wrong for a number of reasons.”

"We’re in the middle of a hardship crisis that isn’t getting any better for people.

“Inflation is now at 17%, the cost of gas is up 130% compared to last year and there’s been announcement after announcement that means that the people with the least are going to be asked to pay more and more. “

“I was contacted by most drivers who told me that Translink are also scrapping the early bird rates, so that is going up to full price. There’s been no public consultation about this.”

"Most people who are using the bus don’t even know that a hike is coming and that is going to make it much more difficult for people as it has become far more expensive.”

He added: “We have to be thinking about how we move in the direction of a free transport system that is organised around the same logic of the National Health Service when it’s working at its best. It should be something that people have a right to and that we should be creating affordable transportation but also responding to the climate crisis.”

“We don’t want to go backwards with more people using cars because the price difference is actually working against them.”

"I think that for a number of reasons we have to encourage and call for Translink to reverse these planned cost increases and we have to have an engagement about radically changing the type of public transportation system we have.”

Supporting the motion, Sinn Féin Councillor Conor Heaney stated: “It would need to be properly costed as it would take a substantial investment from central government to make it happen. We have brought forward proposals for the 26 counties for a £96 million investment in public transport as part of a costed wider budget so it’s something that we would support.”

Alliance Councillor Philip McKinney, who recently travelled in Europe, said: “I couldn’t really believe the amount of public transport that was subsidised.”

"We travelled on the RER (Réseau Express Régional) in France and it was incredibly cheap compared to what the rail prices are here. We also used the underground which was heavily subsidised as well.”

The motion was also supported by SDLP Councillor Rory Farrell, who said: “We think the price hike will hit the most disadvantaged and the poorest people in society.”

"We think it’s unfair, we think it’s unjust, we think it should be overturned, and with regard to the free public transport we had the same motion in February of last year, we supported it then and we supported it now.”

However, DUP Alderman Niree McMorris expressed concern over the financial burden placed on Translink due to increased costs for running trains and buses, as well as the need to find additional revenue to pay for staff and utilities. She called for Translink to work out a strategy to attract more residents to use their services, potentially decreasing the number of cars on the road and improving the environment.

Whilst acknowledging the benefits of a free and effective public transport system, she questioned where the funding for such a system would come from.

She said: “At present most, if not all, transport networks across the world are subsidised by their respective governments. Whilst it would be beneficial to all our residents to have a free and effective public transport system, maybe the proposer of this motion would like to disclose where the magic money tree is held so you not only solve this issue, but many financial burdens that this council and our governments have within Northern Ireland.”

Councillor Harkin stated that in Spain, the proceeds from a windfall tax were used to create a free public transport system. He called on the UK government to properly tax energy companies to alleviate the cost of living crisis.

Citing the upcoming budget as an opportunity to increase funding for the region he added: “There should be a campaign and a demand from all our MPs, they should be the loudest saying that the cost of a crisis has disproportionately impacted people right across the North. And there should be more funding coming our way as a result and that can help alleviate, for example, the Translink hike if they have more funding available.

“So there are solutions because there is a magic money tree and we have to radically change how money is spent in our society and that’s the root of the problem and it’s the root of a lot of the discussions that we end up having here.”

Gillian Anderson

Local Democracy Reporter