[van-announce] Rally for NIGHT OWLS - "PASS THE MOTION!"

[yang]

- - Community Posting - -

*Bus Riders Rally for Night Owl Buses!*

*Wednesday February 18, 2004
Broadway @ Commercial - 6:00 p.m.*

As a result of continuous Night Owls organizing and campaigning, the Bus Riders Union has won a small victory.  The TransLink Board will consider a motion for the restoration of full Night Owl bus service at their Board meeting this March!  We may have won a small victory, but the real battle looms…  *We call on all members, supporters, and allies to join us at our February 18 rally for Night Owls - let's send a message to TransLink to pass this motion!*

For over a year the Bus Riders Union (BRU) has waged a vocal campaign for the restoration of 'Night Owl' bus service.  While TransLink directors can find millions of dollars for new Skytrain developments and armed Skytrain police, they still fail to find the trivial $1.5 million required to lift the devastating curfew on bus riders!  It appears as if even Directors who were elected as progressives on an election promise of "more buses and lower fares" (notably COPE representatives Larry Campbell and David Cadman) have joined their right-wing colleagues and bought into the business over people agenda at TransLink, ignoring the need for late night buses!

In Greater Vancouver 75% of transit users rely on the bus exclusively and an even larger proportion rely on the bus for some part of their trip.  Transit users in Vancouver are mostly bus riders, and many of us are dependent on the bus for our basic right to mobility.  Bus riders still suffer under a TransLink imposed curfew!  This curfew prevents bus riders from accessing jobs and income, and in particular puts women and youth at risk when they travel at night.  Most impacted are late night workers; security guards, cleaners, health care workers, and restaurant and bar workers who often make low wages and cannot afford a car.  Cutting this vital bus service amounted to transit racism.

*As long as TransLink puts bus riders in this position of hardship, we will continue to stand up and fight back!  Join us in rallying for accessible, affordable public transit for ALL!

/For more information:/

Bus Riders Union

407-119 W. Pender St
Vancouver, BC
604 215 2775
bru at resist.ca
http://bru.resist.ca*