Where is The Green Party?

Kite2010

Set up a bus system like that in this country, cheap and dependable, and that would be extremely popular.

And paid for by the taxpayer's magical money tree?

Enterprise_1701C

Kite2010 wrote: »

And paid for by the taxpayer's magical money tree?

Definitely not. The buses were packed, enough to pay for themselves even at a low price.

Rosemary7391

Kite2010 wrote: »

No idea where you are getting £310.50 from as an anytime single for London - Glasgow is £182.50, which is valid on any train, available if you just rock up at Euston early one morning. I wonder how much Ryanair would charge for such flexibility, and don't forget to ditch your bottle of water before you go through security

But then only fools use The Train Line :rotfl:

Vast majority of passengers would be booking in advance for that route so only a tiny number would be paying the full £182.50 (which most will probably be claiming it back on business)

For even more completeness, I booked that exact journey a few days ago for 2 weeks time, so hardly ages in advance. £29.70 on the way down, and £52.80 for a shared sleeper cabin on the way back up. I have a railcard so would be half as much again for non railcard holders. Much more convenient than driving though - work on the way down, sleep on the way back up, I don't have to take any time off work for the event. If I drove I'd need to take 2 full days off work for that one evening event. (I suppose you could argue that I'm crazy for travelling so far for a single evening event, and you might be right, but that isn't the point)

zagubov

Enterprise_1701C wrote: »

I refuse to use the buses in our locale, we live in a small town outside a larger one, I don't know the bus fare anymore but I do know the buses are not dependable, they are just as likely to leave early as late, and they are not clean.

Trains are fine, we live 5 minutes walk from a station on a main line, though the fares are a bit steep. If you are going in on your own it is cheaper to take the train than to drive and pay for parking.

That said, I do not drive, I cycle everywhere, and I frequently beat people I know are driving in, although I think I cycle further than I need to through dodging all the potholes.

We have used public transport in many different countries. Hong Kong was good, quick and clean. Paris was actually quite impressive, the idea of double decker trains is a good one. I cannot list all the places we have been but I am pretty sure that they were all cheaper than the UK.

One stand out place for public transport is Madeira island. It relies on buses, nowhere to lay railway lines (even the airport is on a bridge!), but you can be in the middle of nowhere, in the tiniest of tiny hilltop villages, and you will come across a bus stop. Not only that, the buses are regular, punctual, and cheap. If I remember rightly a 60 minute journey cost 3 euros. And they were very busy, whatever time of the day. Set up a bus system like that in this country, cheap and dependable, and that would be extremely popular.

Here in London, the bus system is well-organised and affordable. I can get to Heathrow from a stop less than 5 minutes from my home at the edge of SW London for £1.50.

Actually London would benefit from a lot more orbital routes. Most countries in Europe had good public transport.

We were the only country bonkers enough to rip up the rails for our cheap trams and push car transport which slows the buses down.

My parents once visited a city called Curitiba where there are high-speed bus lanes for double-decker extended buses with special entry tubes where you queue and pay and get on and off the buses. Cheap to set up compared with digging a metro.

It's bonkers us thinking we can drive ourselves everywhere instead of public transport. Ages ago we discussed it on another thread where we worked out the UK would have to be one-third bulit-up/paved over if we were going to libve like Americans with car parking spaces needed at shops, recreational areas, workplaces and homes. Not an option.;)