Mobility and Rural Life
Rural life has challenges that many city-dwellers do not see. Of all the things that people in our rural area raise with me in correspondence or in person, potholes top the list.
When campaigning ahead of the General Election, a six-foot-five cyclist squared up to me and implored me to sort out the [insert swear word here] potholes. Parliament is not directly responsible for potholes – or for fixing them. Yet I am not keen on simply referring people to local councils, as if to shrug this off and point to someone else who is more responsible.
Westminster is ultimately responsible for all Government matters, even if potholes are within the purview of Devon County Council. If you drive around the streets of Westminster, you won’t see a single pothole; the roads are as smooth as a baby’s skin. This is why it is necessary to get out of central London and experience rural life before debating matters that affect rural dwellers like us.
The potholes do need sorting out. Many people have talked to me about the money they have shelled-out on vehicle repairs. This is an area of public policy that is penny-wise for the taxpayer but pound-foolish for the individual who must spend large sums of money on new tyres and shock absorbers.
It is not only private individuals in rural areas whose costs of motoring are rising. Community groups play a vital role in keeping people connected across our towns and villages – and they are bearing additional costs too.
Earlier in August I went to meet dedicated volunteers connected with TRIP in Honiton. For those who are not familiar with it, this is an organisation that offers a ‘ring and ride’ service, as well as volunteers who offer rides to medical appointments. This is even more convenient now that TRIP has moved to new premises next to Honiton surgery. Organisations like this one save the Government a lot of money – and I for one am hugely grateful for the volunteers who keep the service on the road.
When I return to Parliament at the beginning of September, I will be ensuring that the Labour Government – made up as it is of many urban MPs – is made aware of this. It is just one of the additional challenges of rural life, for which volunteers in close-knit communities can only take us so