What am I missing here?

[geoffr]

I saw this Bus services cut and immediately thought that, if you cut routes you aren't going to get ridership up even if you gave the tickets away.

Apparently the government are cutting support for bus services. The same government that would like us to use buses instead of cars? Yes, the same. I have a general dislike of buses, starting when I was very small and we had to go everywhere by bus. However, I can't use a bus if there isn't one to use can I? I know governments aren't famous for joined up thinking but this takes the biscuit.

Why not scrap HS2 and use the money to reinstate a decent bus service network?*

*(No, don't comment on that HS2 has already done the environmental damage, restoration would probably cost as much as finishing the project.)

[zou]

I read that 3 months of capping bus fares at £2 would cost £60m. So extend that to a year, and it's still barely double the cost of upgrading a major roundabout (Sheriffhall, Edinburgh, costed at £120m). That's small change in a transport budget, and would be worth trialling properly. In Germany and Spain the capped/free public transport fares seem to have worked well, so let's give it a go.

[andy]

Tory logic....just take the Bentley

[geoffr]

Dec 30, 2022 12:51:17 GMT zou said:

I read that 3 months of capping bus fares at £2 would cost £60m. So extend that to a year, and it's still barely double the cost of upgrading a major roundabout (Sheriffhall, Edinburgh, costed at £120m). That's small change in a transport budget, and would be worth trialling properly. In Germany and Spain the capped/free public transport fares seem to have worked well, so let's give it a go.

I agree, we need some out of the box thinking.

Smaller buses on more direct routes?

[geoffr]

Dec 30, 2022 13:02:10 GMT andy said:

Tory logic....just take the Bentley

I really don't think you can blame any one party for the decline. Buses have been declining in popularity for a very long time, though I doubt the need for the operator to deliver a profit to shareholders is helping.

[peterba]

Dec 30, 2022 13:13:24 GMT geoffr said:

I really don't think you can blame any one party for the decline.

Oh, yes we can!! [Oh, c'mon, you lot..... it's panto season. ]