Public Versus Private

rafhelp

Having a choice between using private car and public transport people choose private.

But we get encouraged to use public transport as it saves money, pollution, traffic etc..

It saves pollution but saves money?

A simple journey costing £10 return can actually cost more if you use a train. So wheres the incentive. If we should be so concerned about the environment then shouldnt 'they' after all its 'them' that created all the things that cause pollution. They endorse them, market them and sell you that lifestyle. The condition of most railway lines and compartments also leaves alot to be desired for a modern country thats takes pride in public transport. It needs the public to address these issues otherwise nothing is done about them. Like a road nearby which has a pit/dip. you cant avoid it and it causes quite a bump but its been over four years and its never been fixed up.

Busses are cheaper thats a fact but then it can take you longer to get to your destination and seats are more limited.

Bottom line, use train as last resort. Opt for private car, or if looking to save money use a bus.

paddedjohn

Don't forget that sometimes it cost a lot more to run your own vehicle by the time you add up the depreciation, road tax, insurance, servicing, parking charges, tolls, repairs, yearly mot, fuel etc.

forgotmyname

Can you get from the midlands to london, park for upto 15 hours and back for £15 in a car?

Bus cheaper? £1.80 for 5 or 6 stops?

To goto my Inlaws the car works out cheaper than a bus.

Mobeer

I think public transport would make sense if I was willing to use it exclusively, give up my car and save a whole lot. But on an individual (marginal) journey, the car is frequently cheaper.

bazster

It depends entirely on your pattern of usage, there is no one-size-fits-all transport solution. I'm sure for a lot light car users it would work out cheaper to not own a car, and instead use public transport when possible, taxi for local journeys too awkward or time-consuming by public transport, and rent a car for the odd longer journey where trains offer insufficient service/flexibility.

But for other people that would be completely impractical and very expensive compared to running their own car.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Public transport is no longer a public service, remember when a bus drivers licence was a PSV (public service vehicle), together with everything else the nation owned it was sold off, even the water supply is in private hands which is incredible, public transport now like everything else has to make a profit.

I love train travel, however its got beyond my pocket so only when i can buy a long way in advance and get the best price.

whatmichaelsays

paddedjohn wrote: »

depreciation,

Bus and train tickets depreciate far faster than any car.

For me, the biggest cost of public transport is the time that it takes from my day. I value my free time so I'm not prepared to waste it standing by a lamp post.

Gloomendoom

whatmichaelsays wrote: »

For me, the biggest cost of public transport is the time that it takes from my day. I value my free time so I'm not prepared to waste it standing by a lamp post.

The time is the killer for me too. I could get to work by public transport but the earliest I would be at my desk would be 11:20am and the latest I could leave would be 4:00pm.

I could move to be nearer my workplace, however, my last move was for that reason and a month later my job got moved. Once bitten, twice shy.

PDC

Locally to us the train service in pretty unreliable and often overcrowded, out of five days you expect at least a 30 minute delay on one of them and to stand most mornings. The also built a new car park at the station(£5 a day) and double yellow lined all surrounding streets.

The bus takes nearly three times as long for the same journey and recently they have cut back on the number of buses especially in the evenings and weekends.

The price for both around here is also quite expensive, a single ticket has doubled in price since I was using it regularly six years ago. I like using the train but I expect a seat, especially for the prices charged.

While I often see politicians talking about encouraging the use of public transport I see very little done in fact to actually do so.

Arfa__

Gloomendoom wrote: »

The time is the killer for me too. I could get to work by public transport but the earliest I would be at my desk would be 11:20am and the latest I could leave would be 4:00pm.

I could move to be nearer my workplace, however, my last move was for that reason and a month later my job got moved. Once bitten, twice shy.

Ditto, it's the time taken for the journey that is the crux of the problem. Sure there are some journeys that are quicker by train, e.g the HS1/HS2 trains, some of the fast Manchester/London routes etc. But these tend to be the exception and you generally have to pay a premium for these routes.

I commute about 12 miles each way, using a mixture of walking, buses and tubes. Takes me an hour each way, on a good day and costs £2K a year.

I'm currently going for my motorbike test, with a view of riding to work everyday. Probably won't be any cheaper, probably be slightly more polluting, but will be a damned sight quicker. End of the day, our time is extremely precious, if I can gain an extra hour a day with the kids, that's worth far more than any season ticket.

whatmichaelsays

Gloomendoom wrote: »

The time is the killer for me too. I could get to work by public transport but the earliest I would be at my desk would be 11:20am and the latest I could leave would be 4:00pm.

I could move to be nearer my workplace, however, my last move was for that reason and a month later my job got moved. Once bitten, twice shy.

For me, public transport shouldn't be difficult.

I work in Leeds City Centre. I live in a suburb on the edge of Leeds, just within the city's Ring Road. Bus travel into and out of a major city centre should be easy - should.

Driving, on a bad day, is 20 minutes door to door. On a good day (ie, when the schools are shut), it's 12 minutes.

By bus, it's anywhere between 40 and 60 minutes. (Repeat again for the return journey. Giving up 40 minutes of my time every day (around 150hrs over the course of a working year) just is not an option for me.