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Who the heck wants to catch a bus on Christmas day? Nothing is open and hardly anyone is at work!
You could of course have a bus on Christmas Day if you are willing to pay for it, I reckon the bus will cost about £30-40 per hour to run, and with very few people wanting to travel a special price of say £20 single, £30 return should cover the cost - or it might be cheaper to get a taxi, doh!
So if the end user doesn't pay for the 'public service' then who does? Regardless of who runs the buses and whether they desire a profit or not they have to cover the costs of operation. Perhaps everyone should pay more council tax to pay for your own personal bus service on Christmas Day?
How many buses run on Christmas day in pre-privatisation days when profit wasn't a requisit of running a bus company? How many of the remaining municipal bus companies run on Christmas day and how many services in London do the mighty TfL with their deep pockets run on this special day?
I think the answer might be zilch in virtually all cases with possibly one exception.
Lothian appear to be the only municipal running on Christmas Day. I don't think TfL have ever run on Christmas Day, wasn't it Ensign who ran a very limited central London bus service commercially, mainly for tourists whilst another operator provides a limited central London > Heathrow link.
And a bit nearer to home we shouldn't forget the remarkable Southern Vectis, who ran an hourly Christmas Day service on 5 routes from 0800 till midnight, linking every town on the island. And then ran a full Sunday service (which on the IoW is not much less than a weekday service) on Boxing Day, and will do so again on New Years Day.
Yes it is an essential public service. The hospitals are open. Quite a few of their staff rely on the buses
Police, Fire Brigade Some police officers rely on the buses. Other essential services like gas and electricity companies are on call.
Parks are opened if you want to spend a day with your family or you might want to visit a relative in your day off.
Some restaurants are open. The staff or all these establishments need transport.
Who would pay for the running costs of buses running on Christmas day? err Let me think. How about passengers like me that buy monthly tickets all year round?
Something like 10% of all passenger journeys nationally are made by bus so hardly an "essential" service for the vast majority of journeys made in this country.
If the police don't function on Christmas Day then law and order breaks down. If hospitals and the fire brigade don't function on Christmas day then lives are at risk. If buses don't function on Christmas day people use alternative forms of transport - simples!
As a monthly bus pass buyer I'm sure you could have a Christmas Day service if you are prepared to pay the additional cost of it, I suspect the vast majority of bus users wouldn't want to be saddled with additional cost the other 364 days of the year so a minority can travel by bus somewhere on Christmas Day!
You just presume that there is no demand for transport on Christmas day. Fair enough although and I don't know where you got that from.
You mentioned only 10% nationally of passanger journeys are made by bus. National statistic is not a good statistic to apply for the city of Southampton is it? I think we are more like 30% of trips made by bus as we under use our train network, don't have good cycleways and have the city split in two by the Water.
By the way I was contemplating going to watch Eastleigh FC today KO 3pm as I got this day off but won't go as there are no buses running. Great isn't it. Transport for the people mate. Got it. But you will never undestand it because in your head all there is is money money money.
I assume there is little demand for public transport on Christmas Day on the basis of simple observation, streets are deserted with few cars, pedestrians or cyclists! You assume there is this demand to justify running buses despite virtually every major traffic generator shut and only a few pubs or corner shops open and hospitals, police and fire stations running with minimal staff.
Love to know where you get your 30% figure from as it is nowhere near that number in all the official stats I've ever seen. The City Council's own LTP plan shows no more than 24% of journeys are made by public transport (including rail) in the city so bus usage will be nowhere near 30%. Even at 30% of journeys it is hardly an 'essential' service for the majority (i.e. over 70% of the population).
You're right, it is all money money money as that is what is required to pay for a Christmas Day service, where exactly do you propose the money comes from?
Merry Christmas everybody
ReplyDeleteYes no services today which I think is a aberration of this system
Buses should run 365 days a year as it is an essential public service
Yes. I was disappointed today, especially as Blue Star seems to be running an hourly service. Nevertheless, I am a huge Velvet fan.
ReplyDeleteWho the heck wants to catch a bus on Christmas day? Nothing is open and hardly anyone is at work!
ReplyDeleteYou could of course have a bus on Christmas Day if you are willing to pay for it, I reckon the bus will cost about £30-40 per hour to run, and with very few people wanting to travel a special price of say £20 single, £30 return should cover the cost - or it might be cheaper to get a taxi, doh!
Than you should have asked me first if I think buses should run for profit on not.
ReplyDeleteIn this profit making system lays the cause of such aberration of not having a public service running 365 days/year
So if the end user doesn't pay for the 'public service' then who does? Regardless of who runs the buses and whether they desire a profit or not they have to cover the costs of operation. Perhaps everyone should pay more council tax to pay for your own personal bus service on Christmas Day?
ReplyDeleteHow many buses run on Christmas day in pre-privatisation days when profit wasn't a requisit of running a bus company? How many of the remaining municipal bus companies run on Christmas day and how many services in London do the mighty TfL with their deep pockets run on this special day?
ReplyDeleteI think the answer might be zilch in virtually all cases with possibly one exception.
So much for your aberration!
I think the only Christmas day bus service that run this year was a free one using vintage buses in Keighley.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time IIRC that TfL did run a special service on one or two routes at premium fares. Doubt I have a record of it though.
Darren
Lothian appear to be the only municipal running on Christmas Day. I don't think TfL have ever run on Christmas Day, wasn't it Ensign who ran a very limited central London bus service commercially, mainly for tourists whilst another operator provides a limited central London > Heathrow link.
ReplyDeleteAnd a bit nearer to home we shouldn't forget the remarkable Southern Vectis, who ran an hourly Christmas Day service on 5 routes from 0800 till midnight, linking every town on the island. And then ran a full Sunday service (which on the IoW is not much less than a weekday service) on Boxing Day, and will do so again on New Years Day.
ReplyDeleteAt Southern Vectis fares they can afford it! Just goes to demonstrate if the consumer is prepared to pay for it you can have anything!
ReplyDeleteYes it is an essential public service. The hospitals are open. Quite a few of their staff rely on the buses
ReplyDeletePolice, Fire Brigade, gas and electricity companies. Some police officers rely on the buses
Parks are opened if you want to spend a day with your family or you might want to visit a relative in your day off.
Some restaurants are open. The staff or all these establishments need transport.
Who pays for it? err Let me think. How about passengers like me that buy monthly tickets all year round?
Yes it is an essential public service. The hospitals are open. Quite a few of their staff rely on the buses
ReplyDeletePolice, Fire Brigade Some police officers rely on the buses. Other essential services like gas and electricity companies are on call.
Parks are opened if you want to spend a day with your family or you might want to visit a relative in your day off.
Some restaurants are open. The staff or all these establishments need transport.
Who would pay for the running costs of buses running on Christmas day? err Let me think. How about passengers like me that buy monthly tickets all year round?
Something like 10% of all passenger journeys nationally are made by bus so hardly an "essential" service for the vast majority of journeys made in this country.
ReplyDeleteIf the police don't function on Christmas Day then law and order breaks down. If hospitals and the fire brigade don't function on Christmas day then lives are at risk. If buses don't function on Christmas day people use alternative forms of transport - simples!
As a monthly bus pass buyer I'm sure you could have a Christmas Day service if you are prepared to pay the additional cost of it, I suspect the vast majority of bus users wouldn't want to be saddled with additional cost the other 364 days of the year so a minority can travel by bus somewhere on Christmas Day!
You just presume that there is no demand for transport on Christmas day. Fair enough although and I don't know where you got that from.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned only 10% nationally of passanger journeys are made by bus. National statistic is not a good statistic to apply for the city of Southampton is it? I think we are more like 30% of trips made by bus as we under use our train network, don't have good cycleways and have the city split in two by the Water.
By the way I was contemplating going to watch Eastleigh FC today KO 3pm as I got this day off but won't go as there are no buses running. Great isn't it. Transport for the people mate. Got it. But you will never undestand it because in your head all there is is money money money.
I assume there is little demand for public transport on Christmas Day on the basis of simple observation, streets are deserted with few cars, pedestrians or cyclists! You assume there is this demand to justify running buses despite virtually every major traffic generator shut and only a few pubs or corner shops open and hospitals, police and fire stations running with minimal staff.
ReplyDeleteLove to know where you get your 30% figure from as it is nowhere near that number in all the official stats I've ever seen. The City Council's own LTP plan shows no more than 24% of journeys are made by public transport (including rail) in the city so bus usage will be nowhere near 30%. Even at 30% of journeys it is hardly an 'essential' service for the majority (i.e. over 70% of the population).
You're right, it is all money money money as that is what is required to pay for a Christmas Day service, where exactly do you propose the money comes from?