Buses (and coaches).. Why? Why not?

[Cyril Haearn]

We have a thread 'Trains.. why?' started by 100% who dislikes trains, so I want to ask the same about buses (and coaches), town buses especially

Used to take the town bus to work every day, I had a season so I often hopped on for 1-2 stops when walking might have been quicker
One time I had a call in the suburbs, just missed the bus, the next was due in 20 minutes so I walked, got to my destination 4 kms away before the bus, I could go directly
Sundays the suburban bus only runs hourly, goes a long way round so walking is usually quicker, but does saving time matter?
Most trips the bus stop is some way from origin and destination so one usually walks a bit anyway

Last time I took the bus was 22.2.18, walked the other way (6 km), almost the only time I might use one is if my cycle had a puncture, or in a big city if there were no train or tram

[fausto copy]

I'm actually about to use my bus pass for the second time.
Our car needs to go in for a service on Wednesday and as the garage haven't got a courtesy car available, I'll get the bus home and then one later to collect it.
Thankfully they now run hourly during the day, so I should be OK.
When we first moved to Pembrokeshire, one of my colleagues moved likewise, from Warrington.
His wife didn't drive and asked the estate agent about bus services.
When told there were two buses to town, Kath was thrilled, until it was explained that there was one on a Tuesday and one on a Friday.

[mercalia]

I'm actually about to use my bus pass for the second time.
Our car needs to go in for a service on Wednesday and as the garage haven't got a courtesy car available, I'll get the bus home and then one later to collect it.
Thankfully they now run hourly during the day, so I should be OK.
When we first moved to Pembrokeshire, one of my colleagues moved likewise, from Warrington.
His wife didn't drive and asked the estate agent about bus services.
When told there were two buses to town, Kath was thrilled, until it was explained that there was one on a Tuesday and one on a Friday.

and I bet return journeys on Wednesday and Saturday

[Cyril Haearn]

Two buses? Penmaenmawr has four. Per hour. In each direction

[fausto copy]

How do you go West from Penmaenmawr?

[PDQ Mobile]

How do you go West from Penmaenmawr?

Downhill (all the way)?
( only joking)

[Cyril Haearn]

Bangor
Going north is a problem

[merseymouth]

Hi all, The only difficulty I have with buses is that it is a problem taking my tricycle on board!
TTFN MM

[Mick F]

Why are busses so big?
The ones round here rarely have more than half a dozen passengers.

Back when I was commuting by bike to Devonport, the No76 bus would come past me followed by up to thirty cars. The bus, more often than not, had no-one on board other than the driver.

Empty bus clogging up the roads and holding up thirty cars with the occupants all trying to get to work!
Don't tell me that they should have been on the bus, because it didn't go from where people lived to where they were going to work.

Complete waste of time and money, and road space too.

[Cyril Haearn]

Buses are so big because they have to take hundreds of little angels to and from school, full and standing half an hour morning and evening

[pwa]

Why are busses so big?
The ones round here rarely have more than half a dozen passengers.

Back when I was commuting by bike to Devonport, the No76 bus would come past me followed by up to thirty cars. The bus, more often than not, had no-one on board other than the driver.

Empty bus clogging up the roads and holding up thirty cars with the occupants all trying to get to work!
Don't tell me that they should have been on the bus, because it didn't go from where people lived to where they were going to work.

Complete waste of time and money, and road space too.

Same thing happens around here. An overly large bus with a few passengers, too wide for the lanes and collecting a tail of cars behind, having to come to a halt time after time when the bus has to wait for oncoming traffic, with all the extra pollution that involves. But could a smaller vehicle have the disabled-friendly access of a modern full-size bus?

My Mum, now in her 80s, uses buses occasionally and without them she would be limited to her immediate surroundings except when we take her out in the car. For a lot of old people buses matter.

[Cyril Haearn]

Plus One for delaying motor traffic generally, even a half-empty bus with a dozen passengers is better (less bad) than a dozen cars
The Crosville buses around Dolgellau are quite good, most people live quite near a stop and there are not many alternative routes to make travelling complicated and driving easy

[peetee]

I do remember some really good fun trips on the little Hoppa busses in West Cornwall but that aside the bus, in general, is a poor substitute for a train IMHO.

[PH]

Buses are a great way to have a look around a new city, not those aimed at tourists (They might be good, I just haven't tried any) but any bus, jump on and off again when you see something interesting.
I don't often take local buses, only in circumstances where it isn't practical to walk or cycle, those are rare and when they do arise a taxi often fills the requirement better.
I like long coach trips, through the night even more so, absolute bargain as well - I've been looking at London > Bilbao for later in the year, 23 hours and £40.

[gbnz]

clogging up the roads and holding up thirty cars with the occupants all trying to get to work! ........Complete waste of time and money, and road space too.

Isn't that the argument against cyclists?

Have to admit one of the HUGE benefits of my newly aquired disabled bus pass*, is that it enables me to go for a 20-30 mile walk up the coast, or a ten mile run in one direction and then simply jump on the bus FOC to head home. And no issues with changing bus companies mid route or whatever.

My only "complaint" would be the speed of the journey. It takes time!

( * I'm quite clear that I'm not disabled, but a NHS consultant who'd neither met nor spoken with me, decided I was following an emergency admission last autumn )