Prices gone mad
- Thread starter Gun9
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And you seemed to have missed the point where people are using very busy public transport links but are still getting incredibly poor service. "If you use it, they will get better" doesn't seem to be true.
I can get to work in 15 mins on my motorbike, costing me a tank of petrol a week (£20 at today's prices). To do the same trip using public transport would cost me £50 a week and take me 1.5 hours a trip. I would also have to start work later meaning I get home later missing out on any time with my daughter during the week.
All this for a 13 mile journey between two towns.
And this will not work through taxation without going to a level to risk of it all going on it's face.
And you cannot get people to start using the public transoprt to fund the changes, as it will not cope and will have a negative effect on the economy of the millions of man hours lost of people being late. They need to make the changes, then recoup the cost. And the cost has to be a fair ammount that amkes it viable in the extra time taken to use said service.
Soldato
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Or they can just stop dishing out so many benefits and they'll have the money there !
I'd go far to say they can't, they've worked themsleves into a right hole.
Funny this, a few months ago there were articles being published on how we've never had it so good, and people were spending a smaller and smaller % of their income on heating, food, etc (Which the exception of mortgages), and now prices are moving back towards the historical average, we are suddenly living in 'rip-off Britain'?!
Some of you lot need to open your eyes.
Also, Britain may be expensive when compared directly to other countries, but you go and live almost anywhere else in the world, and the chances are the relative costs are equal... I know this for a fact.
Some of you lot need to open your eyes.
Also, Britain may be expensive when compared directly to other countries, but you go and live almost anywhere else in the world, and the chances are the relative costs are equal... I know this for a fact.
They have cities built AROUND a great public transport system with a building program that started many many many years ago.
Hitler started it in Germany, we then bombed it flat and paid to rebuild it all again, and Hong kong is pretty much the same huge investment over many many many years and an entirely different situation to the one the UK is in.
Public transport is viable in around the main UK cities, and ONLY there, the quicker that the government realizes this the better.
One other point and its a harsh one, is that there are simply too many people on the planet.
We struggle to keep people alive who nature or ill health would otherwise kill off.
We send millions in aid to africa to try and keep people alive in a country that cant sustain them, we plunge billions into a health service keeping the Old and the terminally ill clinging on to that last piece of life longer and longer and longer, its the same all round the world.
More people, equals more and more problems.
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Soldato
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At the end of the day, this is what we, as motorists, as drinkers, as smokers (i'm not referring to me), and anything else that has a large amount of tax on, are really paying for. The benefits that they've been handing out for however long. I for one won't stop driving because it's too expensive, as I have to do so to work, in the job I have, which I enjoy. No one will stop smoking due to the cost, they claim that they increase taxes on things to try to become greener, healthier etc. It's a load of rubbish. They need to look at their handmedown scheme, and remove all the chav scum, single pregnants, fake handicaps etc. Take the houses etc back off of them, and sell them, or rent them for decent money.
I personally believe that is the only place where ALL this extra tax could be going, because if anything, the roads, the schools, policing etc are getting worse, not better.
Was it not the labour govt in 98 that said it would improve public transport but instead it got worse and worse. As technology developed and cars became more common it results in a culture of car usage, not by our fault but because the govt failed us on public transport.
You can't ask people to drop cars without having proper public transport and take a risk of believing what we are told about how it will be invested in and improved.
They became convenient because of how cheap they can be bought for combined with unreliable public transport not because we hate public transport for no reason.
Soldato
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It needs to be the other way around, there is no public transport to many destinations, its not the great system you seem to think it is. If I had the option, I would take it - but I don't.
Soldato
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When at home if I were to not use the car I'd have to walk 6miles to catch a bus, which passes by a nearby village about twice a day...about an hour or so apart, and only goes to pointless places.
It's all well and good saying to use the bus, but if you can't get one it's a little difficult.
At uni I use the buses, it costs me about £3-£4 to get to Bournemouth town centre (and back). When I have a car it costs less to drive and park, but I have the downside of not being able to drink. But if I do go out drinking, the last bus is at 11.30, most places close from 12pm onwards, so I have to get a taxi which costs about £10 to get back to my house.
If I want to go home, and don't have a car then I have to get to the train station in Bournemouth, about £2, then I have to get a train which costs a stupid amount, then when I get to Exeter I have to try to catch a bus to Launceston, and if I get it, I then have to get off 6 miles from home and walk. Or if I miss the one bus I have to get a taxi...for 45miles!
Britain's transport system really is a joke.
InvG
It's all well and good saying to use the bus, but if you can't get one it's a little difficult.
At uni I use the buses, it costs me about £3-£4 to get to Bournemouth town centre (and back). When I have a car it costs less to drive and park, but I have the downside of not being able to drink. But if I do go out drinking, the last bus is at 11.30, most places close from 12pm onwards, so I have to get a taxi which costs about £10 to get back to my house.
If I want to go home, and don't have a car then I have to get to the train station in Bournemouth, about £2, then I have to get a train which costs a stupid amount, then when I get to Exeter I have to try to catch a bus to Launceston, and if I get it, I then have to get off 6 miles from home and walk. Or if I miss the one bus I have to get a taxi...for 45miles!
Britain's transport system really is a joke.
InvG
Soldato
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no cos its down to public transport operators to make it appealing in the first place, why should we use it in the vain hope that prices will eventually come down, if the service did get better they would use this as an excuse to put prices even higher, you don't seem to understand how a business works. It isn't British Rail anymore!
The gov't could force change with legislation & proper use of the strategic authority they have over the rail network. They could even re-nationalise it if they wanted to. It needs to be a concerted effort from both the supplier and the consumer, not a 'you jump & I'll follow' attitude from both sides.
Exactly, and the longer we keep paying & not really doing anything to promote change it will continue this way.Conscript said:
RDM said:
During commuter 'rush-hour' the trains are very busy, but outside of that one hour in the morning & evening the trains & busses are empty but the roads are still busy. I used to travel 40 miles to work by train and would stand most of the way there & back, but if I went in later or left earlier I'd get a seat no problem. Nowadays I travel about 2 miles, leave half an hour later from home and the train is all but empty. I still get passed by scores of cars on my 5 min walk from the station and a large majority of them have done the same journey as me.
Associate
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I agree with a lot of what is said here but to be honest I don’t see how public transport will get sorted when privately owned. At the end of the day if public transport was cheaper and got you to work in the same amount of time (or there about’s) I think people would use the service in their 1000s. It’s easy for companies to say well the service won’t improve until more people use it..... well when privately owned transport companies have profit margins they need to keep the service isn’t going to get any better regardless. If the government stepped in and took control i think we would see a real change but I don’t think so. On top of this I have a 80 mile round trip and work all over the UK; Public transport can take up to 2 hours one way after I’ve got the train, bus and then walked, I work 10 hour days + so I wouldn’t like to think that I would spend nearly half the day travelling meaning I get less sleep and less time at home. It takes me 45mins to drive to work which is already long enough for me I don’t think I’m going to jump on to a train, bus and walk which turns out to cost nearly 3 times the cost of average fuel costs plus car running costs.
I would give public transport a chance if it saved me money which it doesnt. Also it doesnt save me anytime so I'm not going to use it. This is the case for most people I think. No one wants to loose time in there life to spend enjoying there selfs with friends and family etc. We work to live not live to work. Overall its easier said then done but I'm more then happy to try the service if it benefits mean... but its doesnt its that simple.
I would give public transport a chance if it saved me money which it doesnt. Also it doesnt save me anytime so I'm not going to use it. This is the case for most people I think. No one wants to loose time in there life to spend enjoying there selfs with friends and family etc. We work to live not live to work. Overall its easier said then done but I'm more then happy to try the service if it benefits mean... but its doesnt its that simple.
I live 13 miles from work. There is no bus service within 5 miles of where I live, and even then I would have to go to the nearest town to switch and then redirect out of that time. It would thus be at a minimum of 1 hour buses not including waiting for the next bus, and the walk to the next village.
How exactly can I have a mass transport system to help me?
Mass transport only works in high pop density areas. So it can only do so much. Long distance travel I do use trains when they are cheaper/faster. These though you are still limited when you get the other end to remain in high density areas. I like to walking in the dales with friends which then limits you when you want to pack that all in on the weekend!
How exactly can I have a mass transport system to help me?
Mass transport only works in high pop density areas. So it can only do so much. Long distance travel I do use trains when they are cheaper/faster. These though you are still limited when you get the other end to remain in high density areas. I like to walking in the dales with friends which then limits you when you want to pack that all in on the weekend!
I wonder if Feek will lend me a gun, hmmm
So your solution to the problem is start work later? Bearing in mind it would take me 1.5 hours to get to work by bus if I start later it means starting work at 10.30am to avoid all of the rush hour. So I would be able to finish work (on a good day) at 19:30. Then another 1.5 hours to get home, meaning I get home at 21:00. What an excellent way to waste my life, it is certainly encouraging me to use public transport...
Petrol now a fiver a gallon
Gas and electricity up 15% - 20%
Mortgage repayments rocketing
Council tax up again
Another budget about to be announced
Now bread prices going through the roof - up 40% this year!!
All down to the price of wheat apparently so thats going to impact on Bacon, Pork, Chicken and eggs.
It's all getting a bit silly........in rip off britain.
You are seriously Joking I hope.
Tell you what emigrate to just about anywhere in the civilised world and see how well off Brits are. Judging by the trade OCUK have the UK
is far from ripped off.
Soldato
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Let's not forget Japan.
In both Germany and Japan it is a sign of disaster if the trains/buses/trams are not running on time, have a high availability and are clean.
Here in the UK we get dirty, badly timetabled and routed public transport that is late and yet we get charged through the roof for it!
