LABOUR Member of Parliament Peter Snape has pledged to step up the fight against passenger service charges on behalf of the GBTA.
Snape, who is MP for West Bromwich East and parliamentary consultant for GBTA, tabled a question on the subject of PSCin the House of Commons two weeks ago.
He told GBTA members: “Your concerns were relayed to ministers, and I got a fairly long statement from (minister for transport in London) Glenda Jackson who assured me that the Government is holding talks at various levels.
“I am determined to persuade transport ministers of the seriousness of this matter, and the likely impact of it. This is obviously going to be used just to put up air fares. I hope they will see sense sooner rather than later.”
He said the next step is to sit around the table with ministers to discuss PSC. Meanwhile, Snape told the GBTA it should be prepared to lobby local parliamentary representatives more on issues such as PSC.
He said the more pressure that organisations like the GBTA puts on ministers the more they are likely to listen.
He said: “We have made a good start as far as the present Government is concerned on getting views across, but it is a question of pressure, pressure, pressure. Ministers have an enormous workload and all too often they cannot see the wood for the trees. Often orders are just put in front of them to sign.
“We have all seen Yes Minister, and there is more than a grain of truth in that programme.
“By and large civil servants keep MPs from reality and the more ministers see of reality the better,” he added.