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Post by WH241 on Sept 5, 2024 11:14:34 GMT
Motorists are a nice, easy target though There absolutely is too many cars on the road. Driving the route I drive, I tend to keep up with a lot of cars and there seems to be plenty of people who could transfer to the bus. It’s genuinely shocking seeing how many single occupancy cars there are in the peaks when most journeys could easily be made by bus or train Public transport isn't as accessible for some people though if you live out of London which many do as not being able to afford to live in London, very expensive the £2 Bus fare might be stopped soon I read last week and it works out cheaper in a lot of cases to drive until fares come down and there is a revolution on in Transport i.e 24 hour buses in towns outside London and good connected network this won't change , I find it hard to believe it’s cheaper to drive with ever increasing insurance premiums and rip off parking charges. Petrol prices are likely to increase after the October budget. I know in some cases it’s cheaper by car but imagine most times it’s about convenience and not being willing to plan ahead or leave additional time. |
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Post by PGAT on Sept 5, 2024 11:17:00 GMT
There is absolutely a sizeable percentage of drivers who could and should easily make their journey by public transport or some other sustainable means but don’t. It’s why schemes that force people out their cars such as the Congestion Charge are essential for meaningful modal shifts
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Sept 5, 2024 11:31:58 GMT
Public transport isn't as accessible for some people though if you live out of London which many do as not being able to afford to live in London, very expensive the £2 Bus fare might be stopped soon I read last week and it works out cheaper in a lot of cases to drive until fares come down and there is a revolution on in Transport i.e 24 hour buses in towns outside London and good connected network this won't change , I find it hard to believe it’s cheaper to drive with ever increasing insurance premiums and rip off parking charges. Petrol prices are likely to increase after the October budget. I know in some cases it’s cheaper by car but imagine most times it’s about convenience and not being willing to plan ahead or leave additional time. Time is worth more than money, why should people leave additional time when they can just drive? |
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Post by SILENCED on Sept 5, 2024 11:32:49 GMT
Public transport isn't as accessible for some people though if you live out of London which many do as not being able to afford to live in London, very expensive the £2 Bus fare might be stopped soon I read last week and it works out cheaper in a lot of cases to drive until fares come down and there is a revolution on in Transport i.e 24 hour buses in towns outside London and good connected network this won't change , I find it hard to believe it’s cheaper to drive with ever increasing insurance premiums and rip off parking charges. Petrol prices are likely to increase after the October budget. I know in some cases it’s cheaper by car but imagine most times it’s about convenience and not being willing to plan ahead or leave additional time. By the time you add up insurance, tax, petrol, maintenance, depreciation and then parking and other levies ... those that claim motoring is the cheaper option are severely misguided |
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Post by buspete on Sept 5, 2024 11:50:47 GMT
The only way to clear the roads is by making using the private car unattractive and public transport more attractive.
I am a car owner and also get free bus travel. Sometimes using my car is a no brainier.
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Post by ronnie on Sept 5, 2024 14:30:02 GMT
I hear you, and it’s a nice theory to have when it’s 25 degrees and warm and Sunny When it’s cold and pouring (aka 70% of the time) and you have to take kids to school, who are more vulnerable anyway, my first choice will be to drive them there. We anyway have to battle in the morning to get them ready for school, drop them, and then literally run to get 9am office calls. It’s all fine to ask parents to drop their kids by walk / cycle / public transport, but teachers mostly seem to drive anyway!!! Presumably, teachers are coming from much further afield in most circumstances which is why they mostly seem to drive? Well so do most of us in office jobs.‘ I would love to drive to my workplace so I don’t need to bother with tube delays |
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Post by vjaska on Sept 5, 2024 14:31:54 GMT
Presumably, teachers are coming from much further afield in most circumstances which is why they mostly seem to drive? Well so do most of us in office jobs.‘ I would love to drive to my workplace so I don’t need to bother with tube delays TBH, I assumed most office people commuted by train - my best mate and most of his colleagues do that despite the majority owning cars - he just drives his car at weekends for shopping |
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Sept 5, 2024 14:36:22 GMT
Well so do most of us in office jobs.‘ I would love to drive to my workplace so I don’t need to bother with tube delays TBH, I assumed most office people commuted by train - my best mate and most of his colleagues do that despite the majority owning cars - he just drives his car at weekends for shopping I think in Central London that is the case, but the vast majority just do it because of the CC zone. I do have one colleague that takes a cab in from East to Central London and back everyday because of how much they refuse to use the tube. |
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Post by joefrombow on Sept 5, 2024 15:58:47 GMT
Well so do most of us in office jobs.‘ I would love to drive to my workplace so I don’t need to bother with tube delays TBH, I assumed most office people commuted by train - my best mate and most of his colleagues do that despite the majority owning cars - he just drives his car at weekends for shopping A lot not all but definitely a lot of traffic on the road is vans a lot of builders , plumbers , electricians etc going to work in either construction or on people's homes who need work done etc a lot of this can't be done by using the tube or buses , and a number of people will own a car so will use it at weekends etc so the cost of insurance etc will still be there But let's use Ealing for example say I'm a Teachers who lives in Ealing on £35K a year I've moved to Reading as it's cheaper and bought a one bed flat at £170,000 (one I just looked at on Zoopla) with a drive instead of £425,000 in Ealing where I used to live , I want to stay in Ealing and keep my job but rent is too expensive and I can't afford a mortgage in Ealing so move 45 minutes on a train up the road to Reading and decide to commute in , It's only a few stops shouldn't cost too much to get to work . Upon getting there I see it will cost me £521 a month for a season ticket to go 45 minutes up the road so do I pay £521 which gets me from the Station to the Station then I have to pay £65 for a bus ticket to get me to the station or do I go buy a second hand Toyota Aygo for £1000 which can give me 70mpg ( a gallon of fuel is around £6.70) if I hypermile to drive to work plus it takes me directly to my home so I get home earlier ? What would you choose ? p.s I've had a quick Google for these house prices and season ticket prices |
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Post by WH241 on Sept 5, 2024 16:26:16 GMT
TBH, I assumed most office people commuted by train - my best mate and most of his colleagues do that despite the majority owning cars - he just drives his car at weekends for shopping A lot not all but definitely a lot of traffic on the road is vans a lot of builders , plumbers , electricians etc going to work in either construction or on people's homes who need work done etc a lot of this can't be done by using the tube or buses , and a number of people will own a car so will use it at weekends etc so the cost of insurance etc will still be there But let's use Ealing for example say I'm a Teachers who lives in Ealing on £35K a year I've moved to Reading as it's cheaper and bought a one bed flat at £170,000 (one I just looked at on Zoopla) with a drive instead of £425,000 in Ealing where I used to live , I want to stay in Ealing and keep my job but rent is too expensive and I can't afford a mortgage in Ealing so move 45 minutes on a train up the road to Reading and decide to commute in , It's only a few stops shouldn't cost too much to get to work . Upon getting there I see it will cost me £521 a month for a season ticket to go 45 minutes up the road so do I pay £521 which gets me from the Station to the Station then I have to pay £65 for a bus ticket to get me to the station or do I go buy a second hand Toyota Aygo for £1000 which can give me 70mpg ( a gallon of fuel is around £6.70) if I hypermile to drive to work plus it takes me directly to my home so I get home earlier ? What would you choose ? p.s I've had a quick Google for these house prices and season ticket prices I would say Ubers are an epidemic on the road and probably worse than trade vans! |
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Post by PGAT on Sept 5, 2024 17:11:15 GMT
TBH, I assumed most office people commuted by train - my best mate and most of his colleagues do that despite the majority owning cars - he just drives his car at weekends for shopping A lot not all but definitely a lot of traffic on the road is vans a lot of builders , plumbers , electricians etc going to work in either construction or on people's homes who need work done etc a lot of this can't be done by using the tube or buses , and a number of people will own a car so will use it at weekends etc so the cost of insurance etc will still be there But let's use Ealing for example say I'm a Teachers who lives in Ealing on £35K a year I've moved to Reading as it's cheaper and bought a one bed flat at £170,000 (one I just looked at on Zoopla) with a drive instead of £425,000 in Ealing where I used to live , I want to stay in Ealing and keep my job but rent is too expensive and I can't afford a mortgage in Ealing so move 45 minutes on a train up the road to Reading and decide to commute in , It's only a few stops shouldn't cost too much to get to work . Upon getting there I see it will cost me £521 a month for a season ticket to go 45 minutes up the road so do I pay £521 which gets me from the Station to the Station then I have to pay £65 for a bus ticket to get me to the station or do I go buy a second hand Toyota Aygo for £1000 which can give me 70mpg ( a gallon of fuel is around £6.70) if I hypermile to drive to work plus it takes me directly to my home so I get home earlier ? What would you choose ? p.s I've had a quick Google for these house prices and season ticket prices With contactless payment you can get much more reasonable prices as it is available as far as Reading. Plus there are many other costs for vehicle ownership as pointed out by others in this thread so this cost analysis feels a bit disingenuous |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Sept 5, 2024 18:23:12 GMT
The Confederation for Passenger Transport (CPT) is supporting the Campaign for Better Transport's call for a form of per-mile road taxation. The could potentially be a drop in fuel duty revenue due to falling use of pertol and diesel vehicles, and campaigners are calling for drivers of zero-emission vehicles to pay more. The CPT recognises that for the United Kingdom to reach its net zero carbon targets, many more people need to be persuaded to use public transport more often. Pay-per-mile taxation would balance pricing between modes and encourage such a shift. In turn, a reduction in car use would reduce congestion and make buses and coaches even mkre attractive. www.route-one.net/news/cpt-backs-pay-per-mile-vehicle-tax/A load of BS imo. Nothing short of a joke just like the RAC calling for it. As usual with these things, it may seem to start of cheaper, but in years to come they would just whack the prices up. Perfect example of this is CPZ's then the idiots that ask for them years later get upset at councils when they put steep increases on the permits and imo it serves their right and deserve everything they get coming to them. Pay - per mile imo is a joke and would only see more clone plates being used on journeys where people go for free etc. At the moment the ULEZ has seen even more activity of this and car parking that has camera control. |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Sept 5, 2024 18:25:09 GMT
Having had to drive in the morning peak some distance this morning I have realised just how many cars are on the road. It’s also staggering the difference on the roads when schools are back. Not saying pay per mile is the answer but do think the amount of cars on the road needs to be addressed. I tell you where some revenue could be raised and that is issuing fines for running read lights as it’s become epidemic in London. Maybe it’s because public transport can be inefficient while doing the school run? I for example have to drop the kids off in 2 different directions, in a car I can do in 10 min. In a bus or by walking I am looking at like 30 min And time is too precious in this country where every second counts. |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Sept 5, 2024 18:31:07 GMT
Maybe it’s because public transport can be inefficient while doing the school run? I for example have to drop the kids off in 2 different directions, in a car I can do in 10 min. In a bus or by walking I am looking at like 30 min I think this is what needs to be accepted by many environmentalists, the more economically powerful a country becomes, the more people want to do things on their own terms. Especially those with younger children it's not easy getting them ready in the morning and settling them down in preparation for the journey. It's a lot of work and then needing to get a bus in the morning is the last thing you need. I remember school would only be a 10 minute walk from my house, but my parents would nearly always just use the car because it would never be easy having a 7 year old that was keen on running ahead chasing the pigeons and then you had a 4 year old that would struggle to keep up. You just put them in the car and then you're off. I remember schools once upon a time would try to promote walking, but a lot of that seems to have vanished as it became obvious that trying to get children to persuade parents to walk to school for badges were causing many families problems everyday and was actually increasing lateness to class. Funnily enough now the 'Walk to school' banners of the 2000s and early 2010s have all vanished in favour of 'Bringing your Child late to school can equate to x amount of learning time lost' banners instead. Public Transport needs to be promoted, however it should not be promoted by pricing people out of cars. Have anti-motorist tactics actually led to huge spikes of passengers flooding the bus as a result? Successful routes which have seen increased usage such as the 35 have been done by increasing frequencies and enticing people out of their cars naturally. Places like the Isle of Dogs have also seen notable increases in their public transport usage even though it's very very easy to drive your car throughout the entirety of the Isle of Dogs, and even into Canary Wharf where there's four quite big underground car parks and there's over 2500 of them available for visitors, with a total of 6000 available for usage. But schemes like the introduction of the 135, the double decking of the D8 and the rerouting of the 277, not to mention the Elizabeth Line, Jubilee Line and the DLR all being great additions to the area ensures that many people choose on their own will to use public transport to the area. Meanwhile over in Lambeth someone went and forcibly installed LTNs thinking it would get people out of cars and create a nicer environment for the locals. What happened was that everyone just stood their ground because the public transport was not what people wanted and it led to a far worse environment for everyone in the area. While over in Gallions Reach someone decided to cut the 101 out of there, the area has hundreds of free parking spaces and I'm sure any regular visitor there can probably attest that the number of cars in the area is showing a notable increase. So you was keen on chasing the pigeons, naughty naughty  |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Sept 5, 2024 18:31:47 GMT
I hear you, and it’s a nice theory to have when it’s 25 degrees and warm and Sunny When it’s cold and pouring (aka 70% of the time) and you have to take kids to school, who are more vulnerable anyway, my first choice will be to drive them there. We anyway have to battle in the morning to get them ready for school, drop them, and then literally run to get 9am office calls. It’s all fine to ask parents to drop their kids by walk / cycle / public transport, but teachers mostly seem to drive anyway!!! Presumably, teachers are coming from much further afield in most circumstances which is why they mostly seem to drive? Well they should practice what they preach, many of them are hypocrites dictating leftist policies. |
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