Public Transport

[AndrewSchofield]

The government keeps telling us we should use public transport and keep putting up taxes to make it more expensive to drive your own car but does anyone living outside a city find that public transport is actually a realistic alternative to travelling in your own car?

There are four of us travelling to the MEN arena at Manchester tomorrow night. We'd love to go by train which would cost us £29 for the four of us return (not too bad but reckon it'd cost less than £20 by car). Anyway, the last train leaving Manchester heading home leaves as 10:45pm and the performance at the MEN doesn't finish til 11pm so the train is useless. There are no buses after 9pm. We're talking about one of the biggest cities in the country and if you're travelling out of the city southbound the latest train on a Saturday night leaves before 11pm. Even if the train times worked out right we'd have to find a way of getting between our house and the train station (3miles each way) so we'd either have to pay for a taxi (£7 each way) or pay to park at the station (£5+). I just think public transport is not a feasible method of transport if you live outside a city.

But then politicians seem to think that 'Britain' is a 20mile radius centred around the city of Westminster, so why do i expect them to understand?

 

[CortinaV8]

We worked this out a while ago.

From where I live to work would cost £9 per day and take me two hours each way, assuming I finished on time. This would involve either two trains or busses.

Costs me about £4 to drive, and take 30 mins. Daft thing is, if it was cheaper and more direct I would use it for definate.

 

[craig51]

I live 6 miles from work.

Option 1.
Get bus. Involves 5mins walking, 5mins waiting, and 35mins on bus. Then my partner would need to get a second bus to her work, adding in total both ways, an extra 40mins for her.

Total time both ways for me 55mins
Total time for partner 95 mins
Total cost for both of us £90 per month

Option 2
Car. Time for me 35mins plus 5 mins walking
Time for partner as i drop her off/picker her up at door 40mins
Total time both ways 80mins
Total cost per month inc petrol and parking = £130

I take option 2

Yes it costs £35 more, but for that i get to travel in warmth, comfort, speak to the Mrs by ourselfs, but biggest of all, its realiable. I can leave work/home as and when I dictate, not stuck by a timetable, I dont get wet waitng for a late bus or standing in a huge line, and the car is quicker, much more so for her.

Car wins for me everytime!!!!!

 

[Bilioustrumpstaine]

Public transport =expensive, dirty, unsecure, crowded (at peak times)

With your own vehicle you can create your own environment and always get a seat.

Car wins every time.

I think public transport in England is probably the most expensive in the world. For that you would like to think it is the best, sadly not the case.

I was in Singapore a few years ago and they have the equivalent of the underground there. It is spotless. There is no graffiti. There are no beggars. Police routinely patrol trains and stations. It is cheap. It is busy.

Why can't we do this ?

 

[hairyben]

never mind the sticks, it makes more sense to drive in the middle of london half the time.

I live in camden town, a transport hub. Couple of months ago I attended a 4 day course (17th) in willisden, just up the road.

1st day, not knowing the parking, and not wanting to keep running out the classroom all day to move and re-park the van, I took the bus. Two connecting busses and over an hour each way, four £2 fares = £8/ day

Parking was available at £10/day, so the following 3 days I drove - 15 minutes and a few bob in fuel.

Farcicfal. Sometimes 3 or 4 of us go to a gig, it's a £5.30 travelcard each on the tube to the astoria or about £10-£12 for a cab.

 

[Deluks]

Should've got an oyster card, would've cost £3 there and back, you muppet

 

[libby lou lou]

I live 6 miles from work.

Option 1.
Get bus. Involves 5mins walking, 5mins waiting, and 35mins on bus. Then my partner would need to get a second bus to her work, adding in total both ways, an extra 40mins for her.

Total time both ways for me 55mins
Total time for partner 95 mins
Total cost for both of us £90 per month

Option 2
Car. Time for me 35mins plus 5 mins walking
Time for partner as i drop her off/picker her up at door 40mins
Total time both ways 80mins
Total cost per month inc petrol and parking = £130

I take option 2

Yes it costs £35 more, but for that i get to travel in warmth, comfort, speak to the Mrs by ourselfs, but biggest of all, its realiable. I can leave work/home as and when I dictate, not stuck by a timetable, I dont get wet waitng for a late bus or standing in a huge line, and the car is quicker, much more so for her.

Car wins for me everytime!!!!!

And a lot safer for you both, well worth the extra.

 

[esra_ptrap]

I agree with earlier posts. I always use public transport in London and think it's a great way to get about but out in the sticks its just dirty old crap filled with society's low lifes running infrequently if at all and costing a fortune.

Car for me every time I'm afraid until they do something about it.

 

[Estrella]

Surely buses are for people who cannot afford cars? Why else would you subject yourself to the misery ?

 

[Deluks]

And a lot safer for you both, well worth the extra.

Statistically you are more likely to die in a car crash, than a bus crash

 

[chainsaw_masochist]

never mind the sticks, it makes more sense to drive in the middle of london half the time.

I live in camden town, a transport hub. Couple of months ago I attended a 4 day course (17th) in willisden, just up the road.

1st day, not knowing the parking, and not wanting to keep running out the classroom all day to move and re-park the van, I took the bus. Two connecting busses and over an hour each way, four £2 fares = £8/ day

Parking was available at £10/day, so the following 3 days I drove - 15 minutes and a few bob in fuel.

Farcicfal. Sometimes 3 or 4 of us go to a gig, it's a £5.30 travelcard each on the tube to the astoria or about £10-£12 for a cab.

Why not use the overground from Camden Road to Willesden Junction? Far quicker - even with the engineering works - and cheaper.

 

[chainsaw_masochist]

Surely buses are for people who cannot afford cars? Why else would you subject yourself to the misery ?

Certainly in London a car is not an option. The bus is a speedier alternative and I suspect that the passengers form a pretty wide selection of this City's social strata.

 

[Steve]

Certainly in London a car is not an option. The bus is a speedier alternative and I suspect that the passengers form a pretty wide selection of this City's social strata.

Indeed this is definitely the case in Lundun, perhaps other large crowded cities (Manchester, Sheffield). Other places, they are used by anyone who cant afford a car basically, so students, poor working class, etc.

Fortunately, I live within 40 minutes walk of the town centre. I once caught a bus to town, late evening time, it took no more than 4 minutes to reach the bus station.

I work in a village in a different county, but only a 13 minute drive. The bus would take over an hour. Its only one bus to get there, and it would drop me at the door, but it goes round the little villages in between. Also I have to be there at 7am, the first bus doesn't depart from Doncaster until about 8:05 (its one of those services with part-routes early and late) and if I finish at 10, The last bus to Doncaster passes my work place at 9:55pm. I cannot leave before 10.

 

[AndrewSchofield]

Just as an update on the situation that prompted my OP. We did end up going on the train - we found a later train which we could catch, however this didn't bring us home, in fact, it only took us 5 miles into our 25mile journey home and had to get someone to come in the car and pick us up. Not ideal for the guy picking us up but he did offer and at least it meant all four of us could enjoy a drink without having to worry about driving home. Ironically, there are adverts up all over Manchester asking 'what would you say to more trains, more stops and earlier and later timetables??, propoganda for the forthcoming congestion charge but lets hope it improves things on the trains, buses and trams!!!

 

[AtoZ]

what about purchase price of the car?
has this been included in your thinking.

public transport is far more expensive than it should be but to get it cheaper would require more tax.... god forbid...