Cost of travelling
Our local bus company (First) has decided to change the charges. Instead of fair-stages as before it now uses a zone system. I thought this was a good idea until I saw the price.
For those who live on the furthest reaches of the city get a 10p reduction in cost. For somebody like me, I get a 55p increase in cost. The bus company defends that is not a cost increase.
So I bought a 10 journey ticket. Which usually makes me a small saving. £10.50 for 10 trips (£1.05). This though has been increased (without too much advertising) to £12, or £1.20 a journey.
A clear sign that this was indeed a stealth fare increase.
After some calculations the conclusion was reached that to travel the same distance in my little car would cost me 30p in petrol. If we double that for wear-and-tear, that will cost me 60p.
With a little knowledge of sneaky places to park without having to pay (no, not dodging the trafic warden, just free street parking) it works out a hell of a lot cheaper to drive to work.
Here is the government trying to get us to use public transport, when for double the price of driving we get to sit crampted with social reject kids shouting and screaming, and/or fighting.
Guess what I prefer to do?
For those who live on the furthest reaches of the city get a 10p reduction in cost. For somebody like me, I get a 55p increase in cost. The bus company defends that is not a cost increase.
So I bought a 10 journey ticket. Which usually makes me a small saving. £10.50 for 10 trips (£1.05). This though has been increased (without too much advertising) to £12, or £1.20 a journey.
A clear sign that this was indeed a stealth fare increase.
After some calculations the conclusion was reached that to travel the same distance in my little car would cost me 30p in petrol. If we double that for wear-and-tear, that will cost me 60p.
With a little knowledge of sneaky places to park without having to pay (no, not dodging the trafic warden, just free street parking) it works out a hell of a lot cheaper to drive to work.
Here is the government trying to get us to use public transport, when for double the price of driving we get to sit crampted with social reject kids shouting and screaming, and/or fighting.
Guess what I prefer to do?