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Press release: Transport group sets priorities for campaigning in Epping Forest

This is an EFTAG press release about last week’s organising meeting.

A local public transport campaigning group have decided their immediate priorities.

At their first organising meeting on Wednesday 14th September the Epping Forest Transport Action Group (EFTAG), which campaigns for better public transport and safer streets in Epping Forest, decided to prioritise:

  • The Save the 167 bus route campaign
  • Public transport and safer streets considerations on planning decisions
  • Safer routes for schools

Cycling campaigner George Lund, who proposed the three priorities, said,

“We need our councillors to start thinking about affordable transport with every decision they take. The different councils need to start talking to each other: if they assume everyone will drive everywhere and don’t plan for anything else, that’s exactly what will happen. Making the right choices will avoid gridlock and make Epping Forest a safer, happier, healthier place for our children to grow up.”

Heidi Chow, who’s been leading the Save the 167 bus route campaign, added,

“We need a group like EFTAG to campaign for better transport as well as protect existing services. The 167 bus route is a lifeline for residents of the Debden estate and the surrounding areas. Cutting the route will not only affect school children, elderly and others who depend on it but is also short-sighted given the level of residential and commercial development in the area.”

People attending the meeting included representatives from local campaign groups and a local bus company, parish and district councillors and interested residents.

Meeting organiser Dave Plummer said,

“It was great to see such a broad range of people at the meeting, contributing their experience from service user, council, commercial and campaigning perspectives. Our three campaigning priorities are distinct from each other but also demonstrate how public transport and safer streets interact with the lives of local people, businesses and communities.”

The next EFTAG organising meeting will be held at The Space, Loughton Library, on Wednesday 12th October.

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