Public Transport

[bigneville]

In Birmingham,

its £1.50 for every single journey irrelevant of distance.

[Bryn]

Public transport round here is tolerable. I think we have one of the better bus services in the country or something. Buses here are pretty regular and usually punctual in my experience, though I've not caught many lately cause I've been driving since I passed my test last October. It's definitely pricey though, £1.20 a go. I'm not sure what the service is like outside the city mind, probably not that great. In fact the reason our bus service is regularly deemed better than almost everyone elses is probably that Hull and it's surrounding area are seperate entities, rather than being one jurisdiction. Same reason Hull's schools are always rated so low - the better performing suburban schools results are not factored in like they are for most cities. The East Riding of Yorkshire area right round the city is always regularly near the top of the table. But I digress.

Trains take the piss. Ridiculously expensive, uncomfortable, slow, always late. I went to Germany and it's just such a difference. Sometimes I wonder why anyone bothers to live in this country at all.

[Alexikokopops]

In Birmingham,

its £1.50 for every single journey irrelevant of distance.

Same as Reading. Except it went up t'other week to £1.60. Went into the centre a couple of weeks back to do some shopping, which meant I either needed to drive or get the bus (instead of walk). It would've cost £6 for bus tickets for me and the missus, or £2.40 for parking plus about 30p in petrol

[Bellend Sebastian]

That is the problem with people in this country, the apathy is astounding. This 'can't be arsed to do anything like complain because nothing will get done anyway' attitude stinks! If you don't get a reply Lease, keep sending it, that's what I do.

You're absolutely right. Public transport is vile, and frankly in a lot of circumstances driving a car is pretty crap as well, and isn't likely to get any better - the one thing that could and should be improved is public transport. We should be banging on the door of Downing Street demanding something be done, but of course it's easier to do nowt, which is EXACTLY what I'm doing (mainly because I walk to most of the places I need to get to; work, the Walkers, city centre etc)

[Daggers]

While we're on the subject of Public Transport, I think it's wrong that people under the age of 18 should have to pay Adult prices.

U18's only go on buses to vandalise the seats, smoke crack and stab each other while making everyone listen to the R&B shit on their telephones.

Ban them.

Ban them and incontinent people and anyone with a pram and anyone with body odour.

I'd pay an extra pound a journey if they did that.

[Guest]

It's a great idea but unfortunately I can't see you getting a reply

The only alternative is to get a car.. or walk. Cars still cost a lot more to run on average than travelling by bus. Especially when you take into account the cost of the car, petrol, insurance, road tax etc.

I have a car, but I am constantly told that I am polluting our green and (un)pleasant land every time I switch the engine on. I want the choice over whether or not I drive, but with the "public" transport system being privatised, the costs are getting to the point that it's cheaper to drive everywhere. Not only that, but bus journeys are becoming more unpleasant all the time. They are used by some of the lowest common denominators in society, people who are happy to threaten other passengers, spit, throw litter about the place, graffiti, and don't get me started on the subject of smoking!

The folly is, as more and more people are being put off using buses and trains, there could come a point where there is nobody left to use them. Then where would Arriva's shareholders be with no annual dividend payment to look forward to?

[Simi]

U18's only go on buses to vandalise the seats, smoke crack and stab each other while making everyone listen to the R&B shit on their telephones.

Ban them.

Ban them and incontinent people and anyone with a pram and anyone with body odour.

I'd pay an extra pound a journey if they did that.

Thanks for that.

[Ultra]

Margaret Thatcher once said that anyone over 25 who travelled on a bus should consider themselves a failure.

Sadly there are too many politicians (and not just in the Tory party) who still share that view.

The bus companies treat their passengers (and local councils) with total contempt, and only take notice of their fatcat shareholders.

But will a Cameron government do anything to change this sorry state of affairs? Don't think so..

[lildave3]

U18's only go on buses to vandalise the seats, smoke crack and stab each other while making everyone listen to the R&B shit on their telephones.

Ban them.

Ban them and incontinent people and anyone with a pram and anyone with body odour.

I'd pay an extra pound a journey if they did that.

If you banned under 18's, people with prams and people that smell, then what would be the point in buses?

[Daggers]

Margaret Thatcher once said that anyone over 25 who travelled on a bus should consider themselves a failure.

Sadly there are too many politicians (and not just in the Tory party) who still share that view.

The bus companies treat their passengers (and local councils) with total contempt, and only take notice of their fatcat shareholders.

But will a Cameron government do anything to change this sorry state of affairs? Don't think so..

Nope - there is no substantiation for the attribution of the quote to her, it is an urban myth.

All of her public utterances were transcribed and there is no evidence of such a quote ever having been made by her.

I give you the never ever wrong Wiki

[Ultra]

Whether she made the remark in public is irrelevant.

The point is that such a dismissive view has shaped government transport policy for the past 20 years, and looks like doing so for the foreseeable future.

[NorthernFox]

I for my obviously heinous crimes in a previous life work tirelessly for a North East Bus Company and whilst having a great deal of sympathy for a lot of the FTers problems with Arriva in Leicester can only assure everybody that the majority of bus employees do have the best interests of the Public at heart.

GoNorthEast

Quote from the site below

"BUS USERS UK, formerly known as NFBU, is an independent group which was formed to give bus passengers a voice. We have the ear of all the major bus companies and a lot of the smaller ones too, of their trade organisation and of the Government and local authorities. BUS USERS UK is not aligned to any political party."

BusUsers

[Daggers]

Whether she made the remark in public is irrelevant.

Not when you based your entire post around a made-up quote, it isn't.

[Guest]

I for my obviously heinous crimes in a previous life work tirelessly for a North East Bus Company and whilst having a great deal of sympathy for a lot of the FTers problems with Arriva in Leicester can only assure everybody that the majority of bus employees do have the best interests of the Public at heart.

There are some decent bus drivers who regularly drive the buses on my route, but there are some real cockends who seem to delight in making the journey one of the worst you could possibly hope for.

[NorthernFox]

There are some decent bus drivers who regularly drive the buses on my route, but there are some real cockends who seem to delight in making the journey one of the worst you could possibly hope for.

Granted, but that surely applies to half of the driving population who are total fookwits who got a licence off the back of a cereal packet!

You also then have take into account 20% of your passengers are praying that you just touch that brake a tad too sharp so that they can whip out their portable surgical collars for their next claim. and not withstanding the fact that all of our companies drivers have now been issued with "Spit Kits" so we can collect dna from abusive passengers.

[Guest]

Granted, but that surely applies to half of the driving population who are total fookwits who got a licence off the back of a cereal packet!

You also then have take into account 20% of your passengers are praying that you just touch that brake a tad too sharp so that they can whip out their portable surgical collars for their next claim. and not withstanding the fact that all of our companies drivers have now been issued with "Spit Kits" so we can collect dna from abusive passengers.

There are good uns and bad uns in all walks of life! It's also the little things that piss me off, and the problem is people do "little things" and get away with it because most people either can't be arsed to notice or whatever, and that pisses me off more!!

I am in a "funny" mood today!!

[JoeyB]

I bet you dont get a reply ::

[Guest]

I bet you dont get a reply ::

How much?

[davieG]

Margaret Thatcher once said that anyone over 25 who travelled on a bus should consider themselves a failure.

Sadly there are too many politicians (and not just in the Tory party) who still share that view.

The bus companies treat their passengers (and local councils) with total contempt, and only take notice of their fatcat shareholders.

But will a Cameron government do anything to change this sorry state of affairs? Don't think so..

Whether she made the remark in public is irrelevant.

The point is that such a dismissive view has shaped government transport policy for the past 20 years, and looks like doing so for the foreseeable future.

Never mind the Tories why haven't NEW Labour done anything, they've had plenty of time to implement a co-ordinated transport system. They've ploughed enough money into subsidising all the private companies running it.

Did I read somewhere that there is more money subsiding private transport than there was when it was nationalised/run by councils

Everything about transportation in this country is one big gooey mess much like everything else.

[Katy]

Gimmie a regular bus that takes me from the back of beyond to Grantham and I'll gladly leave my car behind. No? Didn't think so.

[Guest]

Having been back to Leics recently, it was ****ing shocking how much bus fares were to be honest. One of the benefits of living in London is the availability and relatively cheap cost of public transport. A flat rate of 90p for a bus journey (when using Oyster), not dependant upon how far you're going along that bus route seemed like a bargain compared to Leics prices.

[MC Prussian]

Having been back to Leics recently, it was ****ing shocking how much bus fares were to be honest. One of the benefits of living in London is the availability and relatively cheap cost of public transport. A flat rate of 90p for a bus journey (when using Oyster), not dependant upon how far you're going along that bus route seemed like a bargain compared to Leics prices.

Could it be that these cheaper offers are somewhat linked to the newly implemented traffic pricing (e.g. road toll) in the London Area? I think that allows the city or GLA to splash out more cash on/subsiding public transportation.

[the_bowman]

U18's only go on buses to vandalise the seats, smoke crack and stab each other while making everyone listen to the R&B shit on their telephones.

Ban them.

Ban them and incontinent people and anyone with a pram and anyone with body odour.

I'd pay an extra pound a journey if they did that.

If i was banned from buses, I wouldn't be able to go and see Burton Albion.

And I wouldn't be able to go anywhere, frankly.

[filbertway]

A copy of a letter I shall be sending to Arriva.

I'm pretty certain as well that bus companies use black diesel, which is exempt from duty, but my searches can't find anything to back this up at the moment. I know that they used to be exempt (I was sad enough to actually watch the Budget years ago...).

It does look like my fitness will be improving, by walking the 4-5 miles into town more often rather than lining someone else's pockets.

Unlucky, we got notices on all the buses I used, although that is Coalville..Ibstock.

[filbertway]

Didn't prices only go up like 20p as well? It's worth it for the metro. Although I don't much care for the drunken jobless losers that feel they need to tell you their life storys.

Prepares for verbal lashing yeeeeh.