FFS another bus fare increase

[Puddy_Tat]

Apart from that though, why do people seem to hate them so much?

Because the Daily Mail / Evening Standard decided to campaign against them because Ken introduced them and Boris jumped on the bandwagon. If Ken hadn't, they would have campaigned about how dreadful it was Ken keeping Routemasters and accused Ken of murder every time someone fell off the platform of one...

The "OMG it's dreadful, people are forced to stand" argument is a bit thin when you (try to) travel on a non-bendy bus, can't get on because there's people stood like sardines between the front and middle doors, but loads of empty seats upstairs and at the back...

and i don't quite understand why cyclists try to 'overtake' large vehicles (be that HGV's or buses, whether bendy or non-bendy) on the nearside when said vehicles are indicating they are about to make a left turn...

 

[Pickman's model]

Night buses almost everywhere for no extra.

no night buses to fucking east finchley library

 

[Sunspots]

and i don't quite understand why cyclists try to 'overtake' large vehicles (be that HGV's or buses, whether bendy or non-bendy) on the nearside when said vehicles are indicating they are about to make a left turn...

Personally, I'd never try to do that. Far too risky!

 

[Sunspots]

Anyway, getting vaguely back on track to the OP...

I've had to rely on First Bus to get me into central Bristol and back a few times this week, and it's cost me almost £4 each time. This equates to £1 per mile, and that's before these latest price increases.

(-Thankfully it isn't, but if the cost of the National Express coach to London and back was similarly a £1 per mile, it'd cost me something like £230. Not even the train is that pricey. )

First Bus are taking the piss, as usual; we need them to lose their monopoly.

 

[High Voltage]

Probably be cheaper to run a car then!!

 

[Sunspots]

Probably be cheaper to run a car then!!

Cycle; it's even cheaper!

-It'd...er... take me about a week to get to London and back though...

 

[Maurice Picarda]

Bristol buses are SHITE. First have a monopoly and there's no TfL-like body that can set routes and fares, so if it's not profitable, they won't run a bus.

Last year's Transport Act gives top-tier councils much, much more power over bus companies; unprofitable and profitable routes can be bundled as take-it-or-leave it packages to operators. They can even set up Integrated Transport Authorities like the ones in metropolitan counties, which means much more control over pricing.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

(which everyone has, hardly anyone pays the cash fare).

That said, when I first went back to London after they had already been in place a few years, I had no issues in turning straight up at Heathrow and getting one, but a couple of days later I went to an old mate's house and he was complaining about bus fares being 2 quid now, and I said but it's only about a quid with the oyster, and he looked as me as if i'd confessed to being a serial killer and said why would he have an oyster card.

 

[Awesome Wells]

a return journey of around 20miles total is going to cost me £7 now. That's over half my shopping budget. Unfortunately that's the only way i can get to the shops that sell stuff!

First's efficiency would double if they hired people who didn't smoke like old boilers.

 

[Awesome Wells]

Last year's Transport Act gives top-tier councils much, much more power over bus companies; unprofitable and profitable routes can be bundled as take-it-or-leave it packages to operators. They can even set up Integrated Transport Authorities like the ones in metropolitan counties, which means much more control over pricing.

local council here is toothless. First have a monopoly and that is the problem. Without serious competition all the pwoers in the world won't make a difference. At worst First will just take their toys and leave the playground.

 

[bristolradio]

So, how much is a Dayrider now?

 

[strung out]

First's efficiency would double if they hired people who didn't smoke like old boilers.

eh?

 

[Geri]

My single fare into town has gone up from £1.80 to £1.85.

It now costs me £3.50 from town to Pill, last time I went there on the bus I think it was £3.25.

 

[Awesome Wells]

the drivers spend all their time standing around smoking, even when they should be driving the bus i'm standing in a q for.

 

[strung out]

never seen that happening before and iirc, there are fairly strong penalties for drivers who don't keep to the correct times on the timetable (traffic jams etc aside). agree about the prices being ridiculous though.

 

[Geri]

The buses from the bus station often leave late.

 

[strung out]

yeah, i agree that the busses are a load of shite (used to live out near cribs and it was always a nightmare getting buses into town at the correct time). however i'm pretty sure that buses being made late due to the driver having a fag would be fairly rare considering that drivers have been disciplined in the past for being too early! i'm guessing that if drivers are standing around having cigarettes instead of driving their buses, then it'll either be because they're running early and need to get back on schedule, or because they're idiots who won't be in the employment of the company for much longer.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Last year's Transport Act gives top-tier councils much, much more power over bus companies; unprofitable and profitable routes can be bundled as take-it-or-leave it packages to operators. They can even set up Integrated Transport Authorities like the ones in metropolitan counties, which means much more control over pricing.

In theory, yes.

In practice, the 'quality contract schemes' referred to here have been around since the 2000 Transport Act (the 2008 Act makes the process a bit easier) - broadly speaking, each council is waiting for someone else to do it first, and go through the legal challenges and so on.

The snags are

a) very few areas have a neatly defined bus network - there's always going to be some bus routes coming in from outside the area. dealing with these is complicated

b) the whole thing would probably cost the council more than the current package of supported services it pays for (the services that the free market does not provide)

c) there is a long 'lead in' process, and there is the danger that (taking Bristol as an example) if First were not to win, they could (apart from mounting a legal challenge which would be expensive for the council) de-register their existing routes and sell off their buses and depots during that lead-in period, in which case all concerned would be well and truly stuffed...

 

[electrogirl]

I don't agree with the smokey accusation either, but I appreciate the use of the term 'old boilers'.

 

[Sunspots]

So, how much is a Dayrider now?

It's gone up to £4.00 off peak.

(-Don't know about the peak times price, sorry.)

 

[Maurice Picarda]

In theory, yes.

In practice, the 'quality contract schemes' referred to here have been around since the 2000 Transport Act (the 2008 Act makes the process a bit easier) - broadly speaking, each council is waiting for someone else to do it first, and go through the legal challenges and so on.

The snags are

a) very few areas have a neatly defined bus network - there's always going to be some bus routes coming in from outside the area. dealing with these is complicated

b) the whole thing would probably cost the council more than the current package of supported services it pays for (the services that the free market does not provide)

c) there is a long 'lead in' process, and there is the danger that (taking Bristol as an example) if First were not to win, they could (apart from mounting a legal challenge which would be expensive for the council) de-register their existing routes and sell off their buses and depots during that lead-in period, in which case all concerned would be well and truly stuffed...

That's all interesting. Thanks.

 

[Awesome Wells]

never seen that happening before and iirc, there are fairly strong penalties for drivers who don't keep to the correct times on the timetable (traffic jams etc aside). agree about the prices being ridiculous though.

I've seen it happen with startling regularity. The driver doesn't board the bus until the time it's due out. Then it takes another ten minutes at least to get the people on, then he leaves. Factor in waiting times at stops along the way and the traffic and the buses have no hope of being on time.

Of course if the driver is notably late he might just decide to ignore people at the more remote bus stops along the way (people being me) and/or drive like an utter loon as if thinking he might slow time by doing so. He might also decide to have a go at someone who doesn't have easy access to a cash point and thus has to give a ten pound note for a £6.90 bus ticket as if it were the most heinous crime. Or he might decide that, instead of departing in good time, he'd rather have a conversation with someone on his mobile. Or he might actually arrive early and, instead of properly waiting for passegners to arrive (which they will if he waits), he'll just drive on by and not give a shit.

I have no sympathy for these drivers as far too many of them, IME, are inconsiderate and rude.

 

[Awesome Wells]

The buses from the bus station often leave late.

They spent all that money renovating the bus station and decided that instead of a decent amount of passenger seating, a horrendously overpriced cafe was needed (almost 2 quid for a bottle of water? )

 

[Geri]

Everything is expensive in there, even from the shop.

 

[Isambard]

You can nip over the road to the Tesco Express and save a fortune.

 

[Geri]

You can nip over the road to the Tesco Express and save a fortune.

Not when the bus is due in 2 minutes and you know the queue at the Tesco Express will be a mile long, and you only have a tenner and the bus driver will huff and tut at you if you give it to him!

 

[Isambard]

Moaning about a tenner? There can't BE that many fares under a tenner any more on Farce Bus leaving the bus station! Costs me about four quid return to go from my mum's to the sea front and it's about six stops.

In terms of price per distance it makes the train into Bristol (also run by Farce) look a positive bargain!

 

[stupid dogbot]

I really, really miss Bristol buses. No, honestly.

 

[Awesome Wells]

You can nip over the road to the Tesco Express and save a fortune.

You can buy from any other shop in the universe and save money.

 

[Awesome Wells]

Not when the bus is due in 2 minutes and you know the queue at the Tesco Express will be a mile long, and you only have a tenner and the bus driver will huff and tut at you if you give it to him!

they tried refusing to accept £20 notes once. Said there were loads of fakes floating around so they wouldn't take them. That soon changed. Fucking pillocks.