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Local Bus Services

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Heh, mine aren't that bad actually compared to some of the horror stories on here :wink:

They're every 20 minutes on weekdays and saturdays, although come at random times past 6pm. None on sundays. £12 for a week pass is ok too.

Reply 61

River85

LaurenFah

I've had really good experiences with Go North East drivers :eek:

Like, so good I brag about it. LOL.

Their standard is improving but I still prefer Arriva.

They have tried knocking my father of his bike numerous times. At the shared bus/cycle lane outside the MetroCentre. They started making it a game amongst the drivers. When he caught up with them at the MetroCentre bus station they'd just laugh at him. One said, "We know all about you, the police have a big file on you, you idiot" :confused:

It was actually the other way round - GNE had been the ones warned by the police.

I've had minor problems with them. One who was off duty, was talking to bus driver throughout the whole journey and distracting her from her drving. She pulled out of a junction without looking at one point. The off duty driver even handed his young daughter over to the driver who then tried driving the bus one handed while holding a child onto her lap with the other hand.

When I asked the guy to sit down on the seat I got loads of abus from him. He got really aggressive and suggested we take the issue "outside". His colleague wasn't much better. I just got off the bus and took an Arriva one home.

Then when you complain to them the company just ignore you are stick up for the drivers. They were terrible in dealing with my father's situation.

In the end he went to the police who gave GNE an informal warning. As I said earlier, the police apparently had words with the company before about similar activity. They tried to persuade my father to formally press charges but he just left it. He was made redundant soon after so stoped travelling that way to work anyway.

I do find the good drivers are often very pleasent and helpful people, far more than you find elswhere. It's just sad that, in my experience, they are the small minority.

County Durham's don't seem to be as bad, I don't know if it's just the Tyneside lot.

Sorry for the rant!

Reply 62

Lu-x

You all sound like old women :biggrin:

Reply 63

Peach-On-Ice

Yep, they are really bad here too. A single ticket to travel 5 miles costs £2.40. Glad I'm not the only one with a crappy bus service.

The Sunday bus is ALWAYS 15 minutes late as well, they might as well just change the time on the timetable cos I've only ever seen it arrive on time once, and I was getting a lift that day anyways :rolleyes:

Reply 64

Titch89

River - that's disguting.

Reply 65

River85

Titch89

River - that's disguting.

Why? What have I done? :biggrin:

Reply 66

Titch89

River85

Why? What have I done? :biggrin:

Reply 67

20083

A Stranger in Moscow

If people are complaining about the cost, how likely is it that they can afford to drive.
If people pay £20 a week for their buses (a weekly ticket not day by day) then the first week will be £70 'cos they have to pay for their provisional as well.

Two lessons a week for the next ten weeks, £60 a week.

Then you have to take the test, whilst still taking the bus at £20 a week...
Then you have save to buy a car and insurance and tax whilst STILL taking the bus....

THEN you can drive your car, still paying insurance and tax and fuel, which is still much more than £20 a week. Probably more like £100 if you're including all the car things you have to buy (insurance divided by 12 etc)

Wow - so you're actually suggesting that people should give up getting a licence altogether? That's worse than suggesting that people use buses instead of their car.

Reply 68

inksplodge

£2 return. Are usually late. No buses on Sundays. Last bus = 5.45. The buses are disgusting and are really really old. I wish we had StageCoach buses for all journeys and not just the ones to the nearby city :frown:

I usually walk.

Reply 69

A Stranger in Moscow

SillyFencer

Wow - so you're actually suggesting that people should give up getting a licence altogether? That's worse than suggesting that people use buses instead of their car.

No, of course I'm not. I'm just saying that 'it's cheaper' isn't really a logical statement to make.
If daddy's paying, or you earn enough, I've got no problem with it.

Reply 70

20083

A Stranger in Moscow

No, of course I'm not. I'm just saying that 'it's cheaper' isn't really a logical statement to make.
If daddy's paying, or you earn enough, I've got no problem with it.

Yeah, but you are comparing two different things. I'm talking about a journey, and the cost of a bus compared to the cost of the car. People are learning to drive, paying road tax/mot/etc. anyway.

Reply 71

A Stranger in Moscow

SillyFencer

Yeah, but you are comparing two different things. I'm talking about a journey, and the cost of a bus compared to the cost of the car. People are learning to drive, paying road tax/mot/etc. anyway.

Yeah but you don't just magically 'get' a car for one journey!?!
You kind of have to compare ALL the costs really.

Reply 72

Spotty Dog

SillyFencer

Wow - so you're actually suggesting that people should give up getting a licence altogether? That's worse than suggesting that people use buses instead of their car.

Oh yes. Public transport is just so awful. I mean, I really don't know how I'm coping without a car.

At the end of the day, yes I'll have a moan and a groan that the service into town is awful, but other than that Peteborough public transport is miles better. And frankly, I'd much rather use it than a car because yes, it is a lot cheaper (£10/week fo unlimited travel)

Reply 73

Spotty Dog

SillyFencer

Yeah, but you are comparing two different things. I'm talking about a journey, and the cost of a bus compared to the cost of the car. People are learning to drive, paying road tax/mot/etc. anyway.

For a LOT of people, car is still more expensive.

For example, if I compare actual cost-on-cost for a journey for me, into the city centre and to the out-of-town centre, and then home. (My average shopping day)

Fuel for 15 miles to get in to the city £2.50
Parking for 3 hours in the main multi-storey £2.30
Fuel 6 miles to the out-of-town £0.70
Parking at OOT is free. :P
Fuel for the 17 miles home £2.50

Gives me a total of... £8.

Bus.

Return into the city - £2.50
Day hopper pass around the city £3

Is £5.30.

Winning an argument? Priceless

Also, you could add all the theoretical costs into it such as a days car insurance at a pound, tyre wear and tear, a days tax etc etc.

Reply 74

veggie4life

well i live in london so....

Reply 75

20083

Spotty Dog

Making up prices? Expensive :wink:

And you can't add those costs in, that's what I've been saying. It's like this:

People own cars.
The councils/government want people to leave the car at home, and take public transport.
While the car is sitting at home, you still have to pay all of those things, so you can add them on top of your bus fairs, just as you could add them on top of petrol.
This thread has people ridiculously suggesting that people shouldn't even own cars - that's what I'm getting at.

From my home town to the city - petrol £10 return.
Public transport - bus to city - £15 return + £2.80 for buses in the city.

At the moment, I am doing that 5 days per week. That's a huge difference.

You don't have to use expensive car parks - in fact, I can't remember the last time I did.

Reply 76

lovers in japan

Carlos92

Anyone else's local bus services absolutely diabolical?

Mine seems to be terrible, absolutely no buses on sundays, late afternoons, early mornings, let alone night.

How does everyone get places?

I hate Faresaver. The buses are awful, and the bus to and from my village is every two hours until 6, none on Sundays :hmmm:

Plus it's so expensive... £3 return for a 10 minute journey!!!

Reply 77

The West Wing

I guess I'm quite fortunate that in MK it's 35p for any journey within MK for students.

Reply 78

River85

SillyFencer

Public transport - bus to city - £15 return + £2.80 for buses in the city.

But that's the point. If you were travelling on a regular basis (to work ever day) wouldn't you buy a season ticket or something similar?

From my home village to nearest city (Newcastle) - £3 in diesal or so (more if terribly congested, which it often is)

It only costs £3.20 for a return on the bus. If I bought a monthly ticktet it would work out as about £2.50 a day. So cheaper than car trael.

In the major (reasonably well funded) metropolitan areas bus travel isn't as expensive as some seem to think. Even outside of them it isn't too bad.

Of course, going in the other direction, just a mile down the road and it's a whole other story as you're crossing county boundaries into Northumberland.

Coicidentally it was announced today that passenger numbers on the Tyne and Wear Metro (light rail system) are up 5%. They are blaming the increasing fuel costs. Bus passenger numbers are also increasing (which isn't that good a thing - they are already far too full during the rush hour as it is).

It seems the increasing cost of living, especially the cost of oil. is seeing people ditching their cars. Car travel is only going to get more expensive.