Post by Max on Oct 3, 2020 14:10:45 GMT
We were just chatting, and laughing about buses in the 1970s when we were little kids. Ahh the memories!
Remembering the clouds of black fumes spewing out the back of them, the noisy chugging vehicles spluttering along and the oil dropped on the roads as these poorly maintained buses leak profusely from underneath them.
We recalled the grumpy drivers who seemed so miserable in their chosen jobs and the lottery expectation wondering when and if the thing would ever arrive as we all stood waiting in the cold rain….and then if the driver would be inclined to stop or drive straight past. Bullying their way, ignoring red lights in the knowledge they were bigger and other road users would have to stop for them and with a seemingly invisible section of the Highway Code where it said they could ignore speed limits.
Once on board you could not see through the thick dirt over the windows and then the next obstacle was if you would read journey’s end without breaking down. If that occurred it was off and standing around for a replacement…that might just get you there.
The biggest laugh of all today was when we all looked at one another and almost in unison we said…..what’s changed?!!
Sadly all of the above are still applicable 40 years on which is a woeful situation and a miserable experience for many. The main differences now are that the ticket prices are proportionately higher as it goes to shareholder profits rather than back in to the government’s coffers and on the bright side it is far easier to get a seat nowadays because most buses run around almost empty most of the day.
We are talking more and more about growing populations, traffic congestion, air quality and yet the government continues to give millions in subsidies to deregulated and private bus companies to run empty buses!
Public transport in the UK is too expensive to get people to use it (outside London).
These long vehicles actually create traffic jams. They block our roads we all share because the lay-by style bus stops were removed, which in turns means more cars are unnecessarily stood behind bus stops with clear open road in front. We all see the ‘tactics’ adopted by bus drivers to block cars from passing, they indicate right when they are not ready, the pull into stops leaving the back end far into the road to prevent anyone else making normal progress. These heavy vehicles are responsible for more damage to our roads and are involved in far too many accidents and breakdowns. Loocal authorities decided to reduce normal road space and give it to bus lanes for vehicles not carrying people!
If the companies cannot attract passengers then the numbers need to be looked at and the number of buses running.
Public transport is well used in other countries and London, however elsewhere the system is not working for the masses enough to reduce car journeys.
Remembering the clouds of black fumes spewing out the back of them, the noisy chugging vehicles spluttering along and the oil dropped on the roads as these poorly maintained buses leak profusely from underneath them.
We recalled the grumpy drivers who seemed so miserable in their chosen jobs and the lottery expectation wondering when and if the thing would ever arrive as we all stood waiting in the cold rain….and then if the driver would be inclined to stop or drive straight past. Bullying their way, ignoring red lights in the knowledge they were bigger and other road users would have to stop for them and with a seemingly invisible section of the Highway Code where it said they could ignore speed limits.
Once on board you could not see through the thick dirt over the windows and then the next obstacle was if you would read journey’s end without breaking down. If that occurred it was off and standing around for a replacement…that might just get you there.
The biggest laugh of all today was when we all looked at one another and almost in unison we said…..what’s changed?!!
Sadly all of the above are still applicable 40 years on which is a woeful situation and a miserable experience for many. The main differences now are that the ticket prices are proportionately higher as it goes to shareholder profits rather than back in to the government’s coffers and on the bright side it is far easier to get a seat nowadays because most buses run around almost empty most of the day.
We are talking more and more about growing populations, traffic congestion, air quality and yet the government continues to give millions in subsidies to deregulated and private bus companies to run empty buses!
Public transport in the UK is too expensive to get people to use it (outside London).
These long vehicles actually create traffic jams. They block our roads we all share because the lay-by style bus stops were removed, which in turns means more cars are unnecessarily stood behind bus stops with clear open road in front. We all see the ‘tactics’ adopted by bus drivers to block cars from passing, they indicate right when they are not ready, the pull into stops leaving the back end far into the road to prevent anyone else making normal progress. These heavy vehicles are responsible for more damage to our roads and are involved in far too many accidents and breakdowns. Loocal authorities decided to reduce normal road space and give it to bus lanes for vehicles not carrying people!
If the companies cannot attract passengers then the numbers need to be looked at and the number of buses running.
Public transport is well used in other countries and London, however elsewhere the system is not working for the masses enough to reduce car journeys.