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Post by MoEnviro on Dec 25, 2018 19:19:18 GMT
I have been to Canning Town, Poplar, and Purfleet and spotted lots of people walking clearly where they would normally be on buses for example along the A13 towards Poplar / Limehouse. I don't doubt that, but in the current (and near future) financial climate there's absolutely no chance without some sort of sponsorship. Perhaps the bus companies should be asked to investigate the chances of getting sponsorship for, say, six routes each of their choosing. What about a small surcharge on each fare?
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Post by vjaska on Dec 25, 2018 19:29:56 GMT
There are many other cities around the country that run a bus service today. Indeed and I wonder how much longer TfL can get away with providing nothing? Hopefully, as long as possible personally - I think it's fantastic that we have at least one day of the year where everything shuts down. Once you open up transport, then people want shops open and it will never end from then on - just take a look at Sundays where we went from shops not opening on Sundays to opening on Sundays to some people now calling for Sunday hours to be increased just like Saturday hours have increased gradually.
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Post by sid on Dec 25, 2018 19:30:06 GMT
I don't doubt that, but in the current (and near future) financial climate there's absolutely no chance without some sort of sponsorship. Perhaps the bus companies should be asked to investigate the chances of getting sponsorship for, say, six routes each of their choosing. What about a small surcharge on each fare? I've got family in Melbourne in Australia and they've got buses trams and trains all running on Christmas Day and they are free to use. I can't imagine it would be that expensive for TfL to at least run a few buses?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2018 19:32:32 GMT
Indeed and I wonder how much longer TfL can get away with providing nothing? Hopefully, as long as possible personally - I think it's fantastic that we have at least one day of the year where everything shuts down. Once you open up transport, then people want shops open and it will never end from then on - just take a look at Sundays where we went from shops not opening on Sundays to opening on Sundays to some people now calling for Sunday hours to be increased just like Saturday hours have increased gradually. Agreed. I also think it would be wrong to make us drivers work on Christmas Day.
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Post by sid on Dec 25, 2018 19:34:18 GMT
Hopefully, as long as possible personally - I think it's fantastic that we have at least one day of the year where everything shuts down. Once you open up transport, then people want shops open and it will never end from then on - just take a look at Sundays where we went from shops not opening on Sundays to opening on Sundays to some people now calling for Sunday hours to be increased just like Saturday hours have increased gradually. Agreed. I also think it would be wrong to make us drivers work on Christmas Day.
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Post by sid on Dec 25, 2018 19:35:31 GMT
Hopefully, as long as possible personally - I think it's fantastic that we have at least one day of the year where everything shuts down. Once you open up transport, then people want shops open and it will never end from then on - just take a look at Sundays where we went from shops not opening on Sundays to opening on Sundays to some people now calling for Sunday hours to be increased just like Saturday hours have increased gradually. Agreed. I also think it would be wrong to make us drivers work on Christmas Day. Considering how few buses would be running there would probably be more than enough volunteers.
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Post by sid on Dec 25, 2018 19:45:51 GMT
Indeed and I wonder how much longer TfL can get away with providing nothing? Hopefully, as long as possible personally - I think it's fantastic that we have at least one day of the year where everything shuts down. Once you open up transport, then people want shops open and it will never end from then on - just take a look at Sundays where we went from shops not opening on Sundays to opening on Sundays to some people now calling for Sunday hours to be increased just like Saturday hours have increased gradually. I'm not sure that's necessarily the case, in many European cities where there is a good provision of public transport on Christmas Day there are very few shops open.
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Post by MoEnviro on Dec 25, 2018 19:56:40 GMT
What about a small surcharge on each fare? I can't imagine it would be that expensive for TfL to at least run a few buses? No more than any other day, I would expect most other operators ask for volunteers to work.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2018 20:07:49 GMT
Agreed. I also think it would be wrong to make us drivers work on Christmas Day. Considering how few buses would be running there would probably be more than enough volunteers. Depends on the sort of service that would be offerred.
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Post by ibus246 on Dec 25, 2018 20:08:08 GMT
I took the car from Croydon to the West End today. Free parking in Westminster a bonus but I was curious to see what London looked like in the absent of red. Took about an hour to drive on relatively quiet roads - parked near Oxford St on Great Portland St. I was surprised to see how busy central London was quite understandably with tourists. Hyde Park looked like a usual weekend day especially at Hyde Park Corner. Oxford Street although quieter, still had a fair amount of people around as did Piccadilly. China town seemed like normal - although I imagine the Chinese New Year is when they shutdown? Leicester Square, again normal levels of people. Most of the tourist shops were open which sell the magnets and postcards etc. I was surprised at the amount of Starbucks, Costa and Pret that were open and rammed packed as were other fast food places - give the staff a day off! Notably every single tour bus I saw be it with Big Bus or the original tour were operating at full capacity on both decks. The one Oxford tube I saw at Hyde Park towards Oxford had two people on board. Very interesting to see London without red, just for a day. Noted that TfL had the NYE diversions on bus stops - even I was surprised that it was up in advance and not the day before as has been the case previously! Many people seemed to be coping fine without the buses running - must be a busy day for Santander cycles and dockless bike use judging by my observations as well as taxis. That said, if I were a tourist in London much of it is walkable. Oxford St Christmas Day street scene: flic.kr/p/2cp4Trg
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Post by busaholic on Dec 25, 2018 20:25:33 GMT
I'm not an absolutist on this. On the one hand I have a lot of sympathy with the view that for one day a year London can manage without buses, but on the other that considerable numbers desire to travel too. For instance, today I heard of my sister's friend's son, aged 43, had a stroke and rushed to King's College on Sunday. They have no car, aren't rich, and obviously needed to go in and see him today. A 468 bus from near where they live would have taken them to the hospital.
The only two things I would be absolutist on: if Christmas Day buses were to run, there should be no pressure, overt or covert, on drivers to work. Personally, I'd be surprised if there weren't more volunteers than were needed, assuming a limited operation. Second, NO premium fares, even an extra 50p, for purely operational reasons.
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Post by ibus246 on Dec 25, 2018 20:33:14 GMT
I'm not an absolutist on this. On the one hand I have a lot of sympathy with the view that for one day a year London can manage without buses, but on the other that considerable numbers desire to travel too. For instance, today I heard of my sister's friend's son, aged 43, had a stroke and rushed to King's College on Sunday. They have no car, aren't rich, and obviously needed to go in and see him today. A 468 bus from near where they live would have taken them to the hospital. The only two things I would be absolutist on: if Christmas Day buses were to run, there should be no pressure, overt or covert, on drivers to work. Personally, I'd be surprised if there weren't more volunteers than were needed, assuming a limited operation. Second, NO premium fares, even an extra 50p, for purely operational reasons. At Metrobus for our Fastwsy 10 Christmas Day service, there never has been any shortage of drivers willing to work and it’s always been covered handsomely. However I think the rate of pay is the main attractor. There is always a rush to get on the waiting list for the Christmas Day duties in late October
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Post by busaholic on Dec 25, 2018 20:51:04 GMT
I'm not an absolutist on this. On the one hand I have a lot of sympathy with the view that for one day a year London can manage without buses, but on the other that considerable numbers desire to travel too. For instance, today I heard of my sister's friend's son, aged 43, had a stroke and rushed to King's College on Sunday. They have no car, aren't rich, and obviously needed to go in and see him today. A 468 bus from near where they live would have taken them to the hospital. The only two things I would be absolutist on: if Christmas Day buses were to run, there should be no pressure, overt or covert, on drivers to work. Personally, I'd be surprised if there weren't more volunteers than were needed, assuming a limited operation. Second, NO premium fares, even an extra 50p, for purely operational reasons. At Metrobus for our Fastwsy 10 Christmas Day service, there never has been any shortage of drivers willing to work and it’s always been covered handsomely. However I think the rate of pay is the main attractor. There is always a rush to get on the waiting list for the Christmas Day duties in late October Without asking too many details, what approx premium would there be on, say, working an ordinary Bank Holiday?
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Post by MoEnviro on Dec 25, 2018 21:22:42 GMT
At Metrobus for our Fastwsy 10 Christmas Day service, there never has been any shortage of drivers willing to work and it’s always been covered handsomely. However I think the rate of pay is the main attractor. There is always a rush to get on the waiting list for the Christmas Day duties in late October Without asking too many details, what approx premium would there be on, say, working an ordinary Bank Holiday? Many operators will also offer bonuses on other days during the festive period i.e Boxing Day and New Years Eve.
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Post by redbus on Dec 25, 2018 21:40:15 GMT
I have been to Canning Town, Poplar, and Purfleet and spotted lots of people walking clearly where they would normally be on buses for example along the A13 towards Poplar / Limehouse. I don't doubt that, but in the current (and near future) financial climate there's absolutely no chance without some sort of sponsorship. Perhaps the bus companies should be asked to investigate the chances of getting sponsorship for, say, six routes each of their choosing. To provide a Christmas Day service it will need the will at Mayoral level for a start, and that simply isn't there. I agree there are no funds in the current climate, but as always it comes down to priorities and this isn't the Mayor's priority (after all we can all cycle and walk for one day! (whether you are capable of doing so doesn't matter by the way)). Maybe one day it will happen, but I won't hold my breath.
I remember the Christmas Day services of the 1970s and they were well used and I believe such services would be well used today. I saw plenty of people about today, lots of traffic and many Ubers or private hire. I do agree that that a capital city such as London should have some kind of (bus and tube) service and rather than 'London is open' it is more a case of 'London is closed' on Christmas Day. Having said that I have no great idea how to square that with giving drivers, garage staff etc a well deserved Christmas Day off with their families, other than asking for volunteers.
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