Bus Journey Prices

[francovendee]

We were out at a do in Launceston yesterday evening, and we got there by bus.
(taxi home)

I have a bus pass, but Mrs Mick F doesn't yet.
Gunnislake Square to Callington New Road cost her £2.20. Going in and out of the villages and hamlets, the journey was just short of 11miles.
Callington New Road to Launceston Westgate Street cost £5.00. Again, in and out, it was a journey of just short of 13miles.
Perhaps an hour in total in travelling time, but maybe an hour and a half start to finish.

That was £7.20 total, and if I'd not had a bus pass, it would have been double = £14.40
It only cost £20 to come home by taxi, and that was a fast half hour door-to-door service.

I was shocked at the cost of bus journeys.
No wonder there are so many cars on the roads.

I think you are lucky to have any form of bus service available away from a large town, no matter what the cost.

We live about 12 miles away from the largest town (La Roche Sur Yonne) and about 6 miles from a large village (Aizenay) and we have no bus service to either.

It's a real problem, and youngsters, 14 years onward, end up using mopeds or thumbing a lift. We frequently stop to offer a lift.

There are special buses to take them to school but it can mean a long day after the bus has stopped at all the small hamlets on the route.

Outside of the school run there is nothing.

During her school years my daughter had a 12 hour day plus homework and nobody we spoke to thought this unusual.
I'd be happy to pay to use a bus, we could then get rid of one of the cars.

[Mick F]

Yes.
Point of use.
If you own a car, you should use it.

My point was that the single bus journey for two people was £15.
The taxi fare was £20 ........... and that was door to door, and a quarter of the journey time.

taxi tip not included? or dont taxis get tips these days?

Yes, we tipped.
We didn't have to, but we did. We could have also tipped the bus driver if we wanted.

[Boyd]

Why should it cost over seven quid to sit on a bus for an hour's journey?
Yes, I understand the overheads and the wages etc but it should be subsidised.
Maybe the bus pass should be abolished, and that way the costs will come down?
As far as I'm aware, the bus companies can claim the bus pass fares back, but I think it's only 50% of the fare.

By the time we got to Callington, we were the only ones on, and by the time we made it to Launceston, there were three of us .......... and that was a double-decker.

sounds to me like an under used service that aint economical. maybe not subsidised by the council. When I was down in Brighton only a few of the routes were a partnership with the council, the others had to pay for themselves, and thats a rich council. I think regular bus sevices are on the way out in the sticks and going the way of my example or there maybe just 2 a day one in the morning and one late afternoon? Thats how it was I think when I looked at the buses at Burley New Forest. I think it was even worse, buses on only a few days a week - and not on the days when I was there lol

One scheduled bus a week where I am. And callconect, I can ring up and book a bus and as long as I am flexible...at times very flexible I can get into town. The longer I book ahead the closer I get to my preferred times. Sometimes I spend 15 minutes getting to my destination and sometimes 40 minutes to the same destination! Previously it was the post office that took you in at 8ish bring you back at 5pm. Useless.

[Boyd]

Imagine the perfect bus service. Small, hybrid or electric vehicles. Journey starts at your door and ends where you want to go. Available 24/7. Personal service, especially for the elderly and disabled. The whole family travels on the same ticket. The bus pays tax instead of consuming it.

It's called Uber!


It's a composting toilet -> my wobbly bog brush using hovercraft full of eels

Or callconect but not quite as flexible.
I checked out uber the nearest was 30 miles away. So even less flexible.

[pete75]

Last week I was in Bridgend and needed to get home. My wife had the car and for reasons too boring to mention it was not practical to cycle. So I did something i rarely do and went to the bus station. When I got there I found that the bus to my village would be along in about 50 minutes. Oh, well, never mind. I sat down and resigned myself to waiting. Then the family from hell sat opposite. A loud argument ensued, concerning a lost ticket. They used words I can't use here without putting Vorpal's blood pressure up. Then a very large gentleman sat beside me. He was very smelly. Yes, I'm sure he had lots of other good qualities, but he did need a bath. I decided I was unwilling to sit in such a depressing environment and walked over to Tesco, where I sat in the cafe and phoned my wife to ask her to pick me up on her return from a course she was on in Cardiff. SoIi never got to find out the price of a bus ticket.

Ah well if you must hang out with leave voters....

[pwa]

Last week I was in Bridgend and needed to get home. My wife had the car and for reasons too boring to mention it was not practical to cycle. So I did something i rarely do and went to the bus station. When I got there I found that the bus to my village would be along in about 50 minutes. Oh, well, never mind. I sat down and resigned myself to waiting. Then the family from hell sat opposite. A loud argument ensued, concerning a lost ticket. They used words I can't use here without putting Vorpal's blood pressure up. Then a very large gentleman sat beside me. He was very smelly. Yes, I'm sure he had lots of other good qualities, but he did need a bath. I decided I was unwilling to sit in such a depressing environment and walked over to Tesco, where I sat in the cafe and phoned my wife to ask her to pick me up on her return from a course she was on in Cardiff. SoIi never got to find out the price of a bus ticket.

Ah well if you must hang out with leave voters....

The swearing family from hell were Irish! EU immigrants, coming over here, causing annoyance in our bus stations........

[mercalia]

Last week I was in Bridgend and needed to get home. My wife had the car and for reasons too boring to mention it was not practical to cycle. So I did something i rarely do and went to the bus station. When I got there I found that the bus to my village would be along in about 50 minutes. Oh, well, never mind. I sat down and resigned myself to waiting. Then the family from hell sat opposite. A loud argument ensued, concerning a lost ticket. They used words I can't use here without putting Vorpal's blood pressure up. Then a very large gentleman sat beside me. He was very smelly. Yes, I'm sure he had lots of other good qualities, but he did need a bath. I decided I was unwilling to sit in such a depressing environment and walked over to Tesco, where I sat in the cafe and phoned my wife to ask her to pick me up on her return from a course she was on in Cardiff. SoIi never got to find out the price of a bus ticket.

Ah well if you must hang out with leave voters....

The swearing family from hell were Irish! EU immigrants, coming over here, causing annoyance in our bus stations........

thats how it is with large people alas. Seems to sweat a lot. I had a friend now gone like that

[Cyril Haearn]

Last week I was in Bridgend and needed to get home. My wife had the car and for reasons too boring to mention it was not practical to cycle. So I did something i rarely do and went to the bus station. When I got there I found that the bus to my village would be along in about 50 minutes. Oh, well, never mind. I sat down and resigned myself to waiting. Then the family from hell sat opposite. A loud argument ensued, concerning a lost ticket. They used words I can't use here without putting Vorpal's blood pressure up. Then a very large gentleman sat beside me. He was very smelly. Yes, I'm sure he had lots of other good qualities, but he did need a bath. I decided I was unwilling to sit in such a depressing environment and walked over to Tesco, where I sat in the cafe and phoned my wife to ask her to pick me up on her return from a course she was on in Cardiff. SoIi never got to find out the price of a bus ticket.

Ah well if you must hang out with leave voters....

The swearing family from hell were Irish! EU immigrants, coming over here, causing annoyance in our bus stations........

We will be laughing on the other sides of our faces when Eire is the only English-speaking country left in the EU

[pete75]

Last week I was in Bridgend and needed to get home. My wife had the car and for reasons too boring to mention it was not practical to cycle. So I did something i rarely do and went to the bus station. When I got there I found that the bus to my village would be along in about 50 minutes. Oh, well, never mind. I sat down and resigned myself to waiting. Then the family from hell sat opposite. A loud argument ensued, concerning a lost ticket. They used words I can't use here without putting Vorpal's blood pressure up. Then a very large gentleman sat beside me. He was very smelly. Yes, I'm sure he had lots of other good qualities, but he did need a bath. I decided I was unwilling to sit in such a depressing environment and walked over to Tesco, where I sat in the cafe and phoned my wife to ask her to pick me up on her return from a course she was on in Cardiff. SoIi never got to find out the price of a bus ticket.

Ah well if you must hang out with leave voters....

The swearing family from hell were Irish! EU immigrants, coming over here, causing annoyance in our bus stations........

Irish people have had the right to move freely to Britain ever since Ireland gained independence from Britain. Nothing to do with the EU at all.

[tanglewood]

Ah well if you must hang out with leave voters....

The swearing family from hell were Irish! EU immigrants, coming over here, causing annoyance in our bus stations........

We will be laughing on the other sides of our faces when Eire is the only English-speaking country left in the EU

Interesting issue there. When I was in Brussels (the Council) after the referendum Ireland was getting Irish made an official EU language. This means Ireland won't have to pay for the English translations once we have left! So if they don't, then who will? There was a lot of worry about this, because if there is no English then what will the working language be?

Translators earn about £90,000 and about 150 Irish translators will be needed in the Council and Commission in Brussels. I believe it is still the case that only the British and Swedish people in the Council and Commission pay any tax.

[pwa]

Ah well if you must hang out with leave voters....

The swearing family from hell were Irish! EU immigrants, coming over here, causing annoyance in our bus stations........

Irish people have had the right to move freely to Britain ever since Ireland gained independence from Britain. Nothing to do with the EU at all.

Just a joke, pretending to be Alf Garnet, off on a rant. I'm half Irish, by the way.

[Ruadh495]

Why would you use the bus? Between the indirect routing and the stops bus journey times are equal to slow cycling. It doesn't run at the times you want. You can't take any luggage you can't carry. Then the tickets cost as much (in Hampshire, more) than fueling a car.

Local buses are not suitable for journeys beyond cycling range, so why not cycle instead?

Yes, I know this isn't true for everybody, but with the availability of e-bikes it's true for an increasing proportion of the population. The bus subsidy could pay for taxis for the remainder and some improved cycling infrastructure. Just removing the buses would make cycling significantly safer and more pleasant.

[scotsmanincumbria]

I live in Kendal, and about 4years ago as a family we were going to take the bus to Windermere to the airshow. On checking the bus fares it was going to cost for 2adults & 2children £30.00. We decided to take the car which cist a total of £10.00 including parking. Total distance was 8 miles.
If they reduced the prices the buses would be used more!!

[tanglewood]

I live in Kendal, and about 4years ago as a family we were going to take the bus to Windermere to the airshow. On checking the bus fares it was going to cost for 2adults & 2children £30.00. We decided to take the car which cist a total of £10.00 including parking. Total distance was 8 miles.
If they reduced the prices the buses would be used more!!

I once calculated how much fuel would have to be per litre before it was cheaper to take my family by train to London from Southampton than to take the car.

Worked out at about £60 per litre!

[[XAP]Bob]

Back to the OP - I agree.


Been doing Jury service and I live far enough away that I *did* qualify for mileage and parking allowance (though I didn't use it much - car shared some of the time).

It cost the court more for the day I went in on the bus than the days I travelled by car...