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A TOP transport politician will be listening to people's views this weekend at a drop in session in Newcastle. Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Chair, Councillor David Wood, will have his ears wide open when he greets public transport users this Saturday morning. Councillor Wood will host a drop-in session at the Jury’s Inn Hotel in Newcastle to give public transport users a chance to air their views. When he was appointed to his post in July, Councillor Wood promised to listen to people’s views by undertaking widespread public consultation to determine the issues that passengers care most about. Councillor Wood has already established dialogue with key public transport user groups in Tyne and Wear but now says he wants to hear the views of individuals. He said: “I’m planning to meet with the local Transport Advisory Committees in the afternoon to talk with them about a range of issues and plans for the future but I truly believe it’s equally important to hear the views of individuals. “People who use public transport day-in, day-out but are not necessarily members of any particular group will all have their views and I want to hear them. “After all, public transport is all about people and getting them to where they want to be, so the views of individual passengers are essential to the planning process. “Nexus and the PTA are all about asking people what they want rather than presenting them with plans they have had nothing to do with formulating.” Councillor Wood will be joined by a number of public transport operators at Jury’s Inn, including Nexus Director General, Mike Parker. Metro representatives will also be on hand to answer questions from members of the public and will be joined by staff from bus and train operator Arriva, GNER, Go-Ahead and Stagecoach. Councillor Wood added: “We’ve been able to bring together many of the key players in local transport here in Tyne and Wear, which will hopefully make the session really worthwhile for people. “I’d like people to think of it like an MP’s surgery and just drop in to Jury’s any time between 10am and 1pm. “When I was appointed Chair of the PTA I promised to listen and now I’m putting my money where my mouth is.”
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