Reply to: Public transport

[dang65]

So these days we rely on GPS and online transport planners to get us from A to B, and then wonder why we're so crippled. There's always alternative routes and options. I live not far from that AstraZeneca site and I work near Preston. I use the train station at Manchester Airport, 4 miles from my house, because it has a direct link to the station by work. If I went from the train station 1 mile from my house then I'd have to change twice, and that's what the online planner would suggest.

[Euro-commuter]

I like the carefully-planned 1 min walking time. Have you seen the Journey Planner itineraries that have you changing tube lines in London in 0 mins?

[BoredBloke]

For a return, I would have to leave the site for a 16:13 bus - not great considering I got there for 9:42

Depart: 16:13* Walk to: Princess Rd/Barlow Moor Rd (stop E)


Bus Depart: 16:24 Princess Rd/Barlow Moor Rd (stop E) Service Number: 101
Provider: Stagecoach Manchester

Arrive: 16:45 Piccadilly Gardens (stop N)


Walk Depart: 16:45* Piccadilly Gardens (stop N)

Arrive: 16:46* PICCADILLY GARDENS (Metrolink), MANCHESTER PICCADILLY GA, Manchester


Metro Depart: 16:52 PICCADILLY GARDENS (Metrolink), MANCHESTER PICCADILLY GA, Manchester Provider: Metrolink

Arrive: 16:57 MANCHESTER VICTORIA, MANCHESTER VICTORIA STAT, Manchester


Walk Depart: 16:57* MANCHESTER VICTORIA, MANCHESTER VICTORIA STAT, Manchester

Arrive: 16:58* MANCHESTER VICTORIA (rail)


Rail Depart: 17:03 MANCHESTER VICTORIA (rail) Provider: Northern Rail

Arrive: 17:25 ROCHDALE (rail)


Walk Depart: 17:25* ROCHDALE (rail)

Arrive: 17:27* Maclure Rd/Rochdale Rail Stn (stop D)


Bus Depart: 17:41* Maclure Rd/Rochdale Rail Stn (stop D) Service Number: 471
Provider: First

Arrive: 17:45 Rochdale Bus Station SMITH ST


Bus Depart: 17:53 Rochdale Bus Station SMITH ST Service Number: 461
Provider: Rossendale Transport

Arrive: 18:04 Scarfield Drive


Walk Arrive: 18:11*

I couldn't leave any later than the 16:13 and get home by public transport.

[BoredBloke]

A few years ago I had a job at an Astra Zeneca site on the south side of manchester, on one of the major routes in and out of the city. I live 12 miles north of Manchester - so I needed a bus into the city and one out and figured that this should be doable. It wasn't - I have just been on the greater manchester transport journey planner to see if things have changed.

It was not possible to get a route from home to the site for a 9 am start

below is what I would need to do to get there for 10

Bus Depart: 7:59 Scarfield Drive Service Number: 461
Provider: Rossendale Transport

Arrive: 8:30 Bury Interchange HAYMARKET ST


Walk Depart: 8:30* Bury Interchange HAYMARKET ST

Arrive: 8:31* BURY INTERCHANGE (Metrolink), BURY (TOWN CENTRE), Bury


Metro Depart: 8:42 BURY INTERCHANGE (Metrolink), BURY (TOWN CENTRE), Bury Provider: Metrolink

Arrive: 9:19 STRETFORD (Metrolink), STRETFORD (METROLINK), Trafford


Walk Depart: 9:19* STRETFORD (Metrolink), STRETFORD (METROLINK), Trafford

Arrive: 9:22* Edge Ln/Stretford Tram Stop (stop K)


Bus Depart: 9:31* Edge Ln/Stretford Tram Stop (stop K) Service Number: 23
Provider: Stagecoach Manchester

Arrive: 9:41* Barlow Moor Road/Barlow Hall Road


Walk Arrive: 9:42*

[BrilloPad]

I've used the trains in Germany a few times now and on one occurrence the train from Munich central to the airport didn't arrive at the exact time when the counter reached zero, it arrived about 40 seconds late and everyone on the platform was looking at their watches tutting... 40 seconds late in this country and the operator would get an award for punctuality!

People mock Germans but I can't think of anything that’s not better than the UK???

Its cos we never complain.

[chicane]

In the UK, government feels that it is mandated by the people to spend less money. You get what you pay for.

If you did get what you pay for, I'd have no objections. For £1.50, I can step on a bus in Leeds and be confronted by a dirty environment, litter, scratched windows, a miserable driver and the feral underclass clutching their cans of Special Brew.

Or I can spend the same amount on a bus or tram in Nottingham and be confronted by a clean environment, polite driver, lower ratio of scumbags etc.

The difference? The local government in Nottingham took back partial control of the public transport in order to keep the people happy, whereas Leeds (and most other UK cities) left things in the control of First/Arriva/etc who's only objective is to keep the shareholders happy.

[gingerjedi]

My bus service starts at around 5 in the morning and runs every 15 minutes to around 9 in the evening and then every 30 minutes until 2 in the morning. Weekends even more and I can easily get other buses and trams in town until some ridiculous times. During events they'll quite easily be running 24 hours per day.

I've used the trains in Germany a few times now and on one occurrence the train from Munich central to the airport didn't arrive at the exact time when the counter reached zero, it arrived about 40 seconds late and everyone on the platform was looking at their watches tutting... 40 seconds late in this country and the operator would get an award for punctuality!

People mock Germans but I can't think of anything that’s not better than the UK???

[Euro-commuter]

My bus service starts at around 5 in the morning and runs every 15 minutes to around 9 in the evening and then every 30 minutes until 2 in the morning. Weekends even more and I can easily get other buses and trams in town until some ridiculous times. During events they'll quite easily be running 24 hours per day.

Positive feedback or vicious circle: if you make it work (reliable, clean, safe, frequent) then people will use it. Or you can react to people not using it by cutting it more, and step across to the vicious circle.

In (for example) Germany or Holland, government feels that it is mandated by the people to run a good public transport service. In the UK, government feels that it is mandated by the people to spend less money. You get what you pay for.

[darmstadt]

My bus service starts at around 5 in the morning and runs every 15 minutes to around 9 in the evening and then every 30 minutes until 2 in the morning. Weekends even more and I can easily get other buses and trams in town until some ridiculous times. During events they'll quite easily be running 24 hours per day.

[sasguru]

I use public transport all the time (£100 per month max in London). And the money I save by not running a car gets whacked into equities.

[VectraMan]

There's a bit of a vicious circle with public transport these days. People have become so incredibly stuck up that they refuse to get on "skanky buses" with "grubby ferals" (i.e. the same type of buses and passengers as have been around for the last 100 years with no particular complaints). At the same time they have so much spare cash that they can tax, maintain and run a car without blinking an eyelid at the extravagant luxury of doing so. Because of this, demand for public transport has plummetted. Who would bother laying on a bus service after the 9am rush hour for a couple of pensioners and the village idiot? And because there's a poor service because there's no passengers, people can whine, "But I neeeeeed my car. There's no buses round here. I'd use the bus if there was one." *coughbullsh*t*

You say that as if it were a bad thing.

[wendigo100]

Mrs Wendigo started using the bus this year to get to work. We get one an hour around here because luckily we're en route between two towns.

On the one hand it takes her an hour to travel what used to be a thirty minute car journey.

On the other, she can read her book on the bus, and the bus driver does all the swearing at other motorists.

[Buffoon]

Before I gave up on public transport completely (for a number of reasons) I used to like busses. Far prefer them to the tube for getting around London even if they are slower. I loved the route 8 busses. They took me everywhere I wanted to go and they were the last to drop the wonderful Routemasters.

[dang65]

There's a bit of a vicious circle with public transport these days. People have become so incredibly stuck up that they refuse to get on "skanky buses" with "grubby ferals" (i.e. the same type of buses and passengers as have been around for the last 100 years with no particular complaints). At the same time they have so much spare cash that they can tax, maintain and run a car without blinking an eyelid at the extravagant luxury of doing so. Because of this, demand for public transport has plummetted. Who would bother laying on a bus service after the 9am rush hour for a couple of pensioners and the village idiot? And because there's a poor service because there's no passengers, people can whine, "But I neeeeeed my car. There's no buses round here. I'd use the bus if there was one." *coughbullsh*t*

[Gonzo]

Round where my parents live the over 60's get free bus passes so I would imagine the buses are full of pensioners.

My old man turned 60 the other week. He is looking forward to getting his bus pass and catching a bus for the first time.