2403.30 END OF THE X78

OK, if you don't live or visit South Yorkshire, if you're a stuck up twat that's too good to catch buses, or you live in the future from me now - you'll probably want clarity as to what the x78 is. Well it's a bus service, and one that I've used a lot. It's also one that's been around for a long time. 

2001.26 MOVEANUARY

So as January draws to a close many will be patting themselves on the back after partaking in some sort of abstinence task.

1704.06 FUELLING THE ISSUE

There has been a lot said about diesel vehicles in the news lately and how owners are going to be hit by new charges and pollution taxes despite previous governments encouraging people to switch to the fuel citing environmental benefits.

1608.03 PUBLIC TRANSPORT HAS FAILED

Back in 1986 an act of parliament deregulated bus services in the UK. Prior to this buses were run by local authorities or the government owned National Bus Company. Back then I was 15 years old, public transport was my primary method of getting about. In fact it was a lot of people's primary method of getting about. Fares were cheap and buses were frequent, plentiful and reliable. Because of this the knock on effect was that the roads were relatively congestion free (there were traffic jams but nothing on today's scale). The government of the day thought that a free market system would be good for the system providing competition that would in turn lead to better services.

Source: Guy Arab (Flickr)

Fast forward 20 years. Has the market created a transport system that work. Has it hell! Those market forces initially saw loads of start up bus companies driving old and potentially dangerous buses (that had probably previously been sent for scrap), those companies scrambled for customers on the profitable corridors ignoring the rural and quieter routes. Fares more than doubled overnight and since that time have continued to increase. The roads have become congested as passengers move away to private cars. Most of the local authority bus companies along with the smaller operations have merged into a small number of large operators who control the majority of the UK bus companies.

Source: citytransport.info

In contrast London's model is more of a tender system where private bus companies bid to run specific routes with fares and timetables set by the local authority.

So what happens now? I hope public transport isn't dying as I would love to see it as the future of getting out and about. I don't see private cars as a sustainable transport for everyday travel. The problem is now also cultural. I know people that wouldn't dream of using public transport and see it as 'beneath them', this snobbish behaviour might be the biggest stumbling block even if investment and infrastructure is improved.

My wish is for the London model to be taken up in other urban areas across the country with fares subsidised which will in turn will mean people hopefully will choose to leave their cars at home. I used to work in a deregulated public transport industry (all be it 10 years ago) and use it regularly, my transport priorities are cycling, public transport, private car.

0902.23 SUNDAY NIGHT @ WORK

I hate the idea of working Sundays and if you'd asked me this time yesterday I'd have said that I hate working Sundays full stop. I think this stems from my time working on the buses when Sunday evening were the most boring shifts ever. Last night, however, was exceptionally busy at work. I fact I've generated enough paperwork to keep me busy for the first 2 hours of my shift today. So maybe when I say that I hate working on a Sunday it's just the thought of leaving my family at home.

Getting home last night was another matter all together. I checked the bus timetables and there was a 45 minute wait for the bus that goes directly home. I'm not one for waiting around so I jumped on a tram to Meadowhall. At Meadowhall I checked departure up home, 32 minutes wait (just 3 minutes earlier than the bus I could have caught from Sheffield). I ended up walking the last couple of miles.