To be pissed off about the bus prices???

[colditz]

I had a lot of shopping to get home today, and had a friend with me.

The bus prices have jumped up so much that it is cheaper for two adults and one child (over 4 you see) to get a TAXI home than it is to pay two adult bus fares - which given the walk to the bus station and the walk from the bus stop, is only just over half the journey the raxi will make door to door!

How do they justify this? They blamed it on the price of petrol - but taxi drivers have this issue too, and they seem to cope fine.

I shan't be getting the bus again unless it's just me

Couldn't agree more, public transport costs a crazy amount. How are we supposed to leave our cars at home when it's actually cheaper to drive?

YADNBU - I live in Beds and it costs a bloody fortune to get anywhere by bus - a five minute journey to the next village is £2.30 for a return ticket for one adult and as I have a toddler plus buggy I have the added joy of struggling on and off old style buses with shopping/buggy and 2yo -to get to the nearest town centre costs around a fiver - I am not exactly sure as it is easier to get the train and that costs roughly the same.

But as I don't drive I do use the public transport (such as it is) in the area but even more than the cost I am limited by the infrequency and lack of choice of destinations... more investment, subsidy and regulation of services is required.

A day ticket to Weston-Super-Mare here is cheaper than a normal return ticket. So everytime I want to go to Weston it's £3.50 return. Not too bad.

For pretty much the same distance, only 1-2 miles more and it takes the same amount of time, to Bristol, costs about £7. So when me and DP, whom don't have a car and are in the middle of a village with only one bus service every two hours, want to go there - it's about £15. That's a lot of money. Taxi's are worse though, it's about £40-60 depending on whom you go with and the time for one way to Bristol.

Costs us £4.20 for 2 singles into town, 3 mile journey. £6 cab for same journey. So not cheaper, but no waiting around for ages & pick up from home is often worth the £1.80 extra.

I hate also that there isn't one provider in Manchester, it's annoying & makes it more expensive. £63 for a 28 day "any bus" pass just so I don't have to let other buses go past & make me late, or longer getting home.

YANBU

£2.40 for a 3 mile ride into town, then £2.40 back again. If you get a return it's slightly cheaper but you can't use it on all buses.

I'd rather walk.

I think the tories/coalition are unlikely to help here - they see subsidised bus services as helping the lazy poor far too much.

Missingfriendsandsad has a point. The tories probably think the lazy poor should shut up and cough up a couple o' grand for car insurance quietly. After all, I'm sure that would fit into their 'big society' Ahem.

Here in N Wales, Arriva runs most buses and the local trains. Some fares seem high (singles on the bus) while others are quite low considering the mileage possible (if one can stick hours on a bus!)

Single into town is 1.80 (1.30 is minimum fare) on bus, but a day ticket is 3.00 (have not bought one yet as tend to use train), but that 3.00 ticket covers as many trips around town and within the county from town centre bus station on Arriva. Some other firms run, but to tiny number of villages and never need to use them so don't know how they compare.

There's also a regional 'Saver' Arriva bus ticket at 5.50 (for Wales and North West) so could go from Wrexham to Barmouth / Aberystwyth, or off to Liverpool / Manchester / places in Cheshire/Lancashire or along the northern coast to Rhyl, Bangor and Holyhead (Anglesey).

Not sure if I could get back the same day to be frank, but considering the single fare on the train from Wrexham to Chester (10 miles) is 4.50, if I paid for a B+B it would probably be cheaper with 2 Saver tickers (one going and one back) than by train!

However, local council helps fund train route near me, so a return is 90p (plus 15 minute walk) and trains run hourly.

I walk to local stores [Iceland, Lidl, Co-Op] (15 minutes), or use train to get into town centre for banks, plus Asda 24h, Sainsburys, Tesco 24h, Aldi, Argos stores, BHS, M+S, etc, etc.

yanbu