Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think kids should go free on buses?

167 replies

3asAbird · 21/12/2013 09:08

I know they do travel free in london if under 16.

here its free until 5

but most of time they never ask me to pay for 7year old.

really depends what bus drivers we get.
fares seem to vary on same route like they made a na error.

everyone moans about first bus and how extortionate they are.
they never on time
bus drivers can be rude and seem to hate kids.

one had go at me for giving him change think there was few coppers with the silver.

ours frequently dont have change and give change tickets which have to eb take to bus station or first shop which means frequenly i never see the money back.

i rarly take the bus with kids as its flipping stressful

but sometimes from local high street as the main road long abut mile if weathers bad its now £1.50 each way so return would cost £3 for 1mile.
day riders £4 each and family day rider £10 but worked out summer sometimes cheaper hubby drive into city centre and park.

anyway last night we did some shopping food up high street. cash machine wasent working so had £1.50 on me, it was dark and raining.

kids asked if we take bus so girls sat down 2younger ones under 5 3kids.

the bus driver dident argue she wanted eldest to pay due to age.

she said was first rules only 2free kids with 1 fullpaying adults.
never heard that rule before, some could say when you chanced it and lost.

so we had to get off shame of everyone on bus looking.
small boy crying in his buggy.
we were only going like 3 stops .

some of you might say aibu you should pay you fare ddger but rules seem to vary on driver and route they shouldent never know what to expect.

i hate taking bus most of time as people can be so horrid.

last time had 2 oaps have go at me over my well behaved kids.
got off stop early.

we live distance from school bus that bus route so unreliable and would work out so expensive we walk the 1.2 miles.

myself and kids quite used to walking now so often walk what most people say long distances not helped by some areas even close by ones being 2buses.

often theres not enough room many buggies.

but i have been thinking last few months/

hear people say what strain bus fees are to senior schools £60 a month here yet educations pretty much compulsary unless you home ed and you get whichever school council allocate you.

even if within 2miles can be long walk for little reception child.

i wonder what happens with unemployed and job centre?
as nearest job centres 6miles £6 return or 4miles,2buses £4.

my 2 wealthy car driving neighbours with their free bus passes are often going on nice shopping trips or days out with theres.

which makes me think.

why oaps get free travel but not kids?

im lucky every things walkable and rarly rely on bus but for those who do must be huge cost.

so every time i walk up long rd in wet/snow and see bus whizz past with mostly oaps i think god the uks so fair not!

OP posts:
HesterShaw · 21/12/2013 13:02

Exactly, Retro. If there's going to be subsidized travel, and yes of course there should be!, make it for the worst off in society, who need it, rather than guaranteed Tory voters.

ilovesooty · 21/12/2013 13:04

I should have said that I don't have any particular objection to means testing any benefit apart from the cost involved.

I don't see why children should be entitled to free travel without restrictions though. After all pensioners can't use free passes before the morning rush hour is over.

Grennie · 21/12/2013 13:06

Actually free travel for children over 5, would probably make children even unfitter. Seriously if they can't walk a few miles as a minimum, there is something very wrong with their fitness levels.

ilovesooty · 21/12/2013 13:07

Amber of course not. I can't imagine why you even thought that question necessary.

ilovesooty · 21/12/2013 13:10

soverylucky good point there.

Retropear · 21/12/2013 13:12

Where we live kids are a £1 which is a good compromise.I think they should do the same for OAPs and get rid of passes.

ProudAS · 21/12/2013 13:23

I don't have a problem with under 5s travelling for free but do object to then occupying seats whilst fare paying passengers are standing.

ilovesooty · 21/12/2013 13:25

I think a contribution to a concessionary rate sounds fair enough. I still don't agree with what the OP was banging on about though.

ilovesooty · 21/12/2013 13:26

Under 5s travelling free should be on laps if the bus gets busy.

Lillilly · 21/12/2013 13:36

I agree, it would also encourage social mobility. Lots of kids are stuck on estates, this would help then to access lots of activities and services which would not otherwise be available.

AmberLeaf · 21/12/2013 13:40

Seriously if they can't walk a few miles as a minimum, there is something very wrong with their fitness levels

Where I live [where children do travel free] quite a lot of children have to get the bus to school.[lots of local schools, but you dont get to pick your nearest, they are allocated] many of those have parents who have to get to work and the bus is quicker, no brainer really.

NiceTabard · 21/12/2013 13:41

There are no restrictions on use for TFL Freedom pass users in London.

Many over 60s work / have hospital or other appts around rush hour and so it was changed a few years back to allow them to travel during commuter hours.

ilovesooty · 21/12/2013 14:02

So how is this funded in London?

NiceTabard · 21/12/2013 14:05

If you google TFL you should be able to find that information out.

ilovesooty · 21/12/2013 14:15

I have googled. How We Are Funded - coming soon. So it appears there is no information on this.

NiceTabard · 21/12/2013 14:24

Have you tried the mayors office, budgetary reports from govt etc. Coming to the conclusion that there is "no information" after looking at one website is a little extreme! It's all out of revenue from various sources, mayor's purse, and I think some from central govt, I would imagine.

If you dig a little deeper then you will find what you are looking for. Certainly I've seen figures about budgets and so on, on the BBC news.

soverylucky · 21/12/2013 14:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NiceTabard · 21/12/2013 14:26

google brings this up as the first result (from TFL website):

TFL 2013/14 here

HTH

Dontletthemgetyoudown · 21/12/2013 14:31

Ds1 is 16 and it costs me £40 a month for a student bus pass to get him to college. I also pay £27 a month for ds1 who's 11 to get to school as he attends grammar that is further away than ds1's college. That's a lot of money each month and luckily for my dc both myself and xh work in well paid jobs but I'd dread to think what conditions dc could be walking/biking in if parents couldn't afford that each month.

The bus is convenient especially for ds1 it is two minutes from our front door and drops him off right outside college and runs every 20 minutes until 6pm.

I thought unemployed were entitled to claim for a bus pass or a heavily subsidised one but with restrictions such as can't use at peak times. I'm

ilovesooty · 21/12/2013 14:50

So TFL is heavily dependent on government grants and funding and has to find rather a lot of savings. One wonders really how long it will be justifiable to be so generous in London in comparison to other parts of the country.

3asAbird · 21/12/2013 14:51

Ok can i Just point out dds school is 1.2miles each way. sometimes we take detour on way home go get some food shopping so my kids age

7,4 and 2.5 walk on average 2-3miles a day.
which is fine if weathers nice but when its torrential rain I do comprimise and take the bus.

The bus stop nearest school has no shelter. bus is frequently late then drops me off at sctop 10-15min walk from my house so its hardly door to door and cost pf this journey £4

On weekends I would say they do 1-2miles walk depending on where we go.

I do try to avid bus as its stressful sometimes dont have any cash on me then have go cash machine again no where near my house.

I take a buggy and scooters.

Everyone at schools comments on how good my kids are at walking.
they neither lazy or obese thanks.

So many parents at school dirve tiny distances and actually find the obse kids are the ones whos parents drive them everywhere as fund this with dds mate walking 15mins less than half mile tired her out.

in all fairseness senirs theres one acdaemy next village over and some parents pay £60 for school bus others i see cycling on cyclepath.

Local comp has no schol buses and see kids walking in that uniform upto 2-3miles only other option is they pay for first bus.

Lied in other cities where buses run by council seemed much better.

I wish bristol had better travel links when look at london and even trams in machester we seem massivly backwards here and first restructure their fees to make themselves look better which actually penalises those who take shorter journeys.

re my next door neighbours.

one is out,holiday all time, lots day trips and paid off mortgage homeowner shes the nice one in 80s has grand kids loads very down to earth like her

The other one is nut job moans about people letting houses in the street,sent her kids and grand kids private school, says shes ok as her husband had good pension frequently on day trips.

Both of them drive and have small car.

We run 1 car hubby has for and i dont drive having lessons but thats expensive, as will insurance and petrol so expect will still walk lot of the time. Aim is move bit closer.

If next year dd2 allocated diffrent school to her sibling i may need to rely on bus to get there in time.

if husbands off we always take the car if buses were better and cheaper than maybe we take them more as a family.

lot retail parks really hard to get to without a car surly mobility for all important aim.

when someone relys on bus get to things like interveiws and job centre or school then thats a journey whereas ops apart from appointments more of their journeys are recreational choice.

The disparity in price and service in uk is shocking. just not sure current system works anyone want to suggest anything better maybe cheaper flat rate fees for all..

I was told bus companies get paid lump sum and not on usage so sometimes those who dont use their pass are actually making bus company money as they been overpaid.

To londerers other cities in uk equally as expensive to live and sometimes wages lower.

Some responses remind me im not being funny uk not very kid freindly.

OP posts:
pumpkinsweetie · 21/12/2013 15:02

I agree 3as this country seems to have a strong dislike for children.
Children are treated 2nd class in the uk, i have had to pick my 3yo up from falling on the bus as the driver was breaking too hard, me nor her had no seat and i'm 8 1/2 m pregnant too, but not no-one would give up a seat for her or me and didn't bat an eyelid as she fell. Most of them were 30 somethings, no shopping etc.

Children are murdered or raped in this country and the justice system fails them too.

I would always give up my seat for a little un, because i would be worried about them hurting themselves.

ilovesooty · 21/12/2013 15:06

I don't know where people get the idea that people on jobseekers allowance get help with fares. Any support is minimal to non existent and of course if you can't get to the job centre you'llbe sanctioned and have no money at all.

I think this is rather more important to address than giving children free transport.

Dwerf · 21/12/2013 15:09

It seems first can be hit and miss in different areas. It costs me £2.10 to get into town. It's a ten minute journey on a bus (or 45 min walk, it's okay going, it's all downhill, not so much coming back, three uphill miles). To get me and my two kids into town it'd be £5.50. But first do a friends and family ticket for a shade under £8. Handy if you've got a journey of more than two buses, and especially if you're going into town and out to somewhere else. This is travel for five people, so if five adults are going on one bus, it's a saving of a couple of quid. A journey of two buses or more and you're laughing. They also do a Yorkshire day-rider for less than a fiver. They don't seem to publicises these much, they are not exactly pushed even on the site. And some are issued by Yorkshire metro not first, it's worth looking on both sites for the savings.

We get free travel here until 5, and then half fare from 11 to 18 with student/ half fare passes (which I really really must sort out). Dd2 walks to school (two and a half miles) but I'm thinking I ay sort out a bus pass for the next term, even though it takes longer on the buses to get there.

Andrewofgg · 21/12/2013 15:25

Pumpkinsweetie I knew I had reached my Victor Meldrew years a few weeks ago when I got on a crowded Tube, there was a young woman with a "Baby on board" badge also standing, and I yelled THIS LADY IS PREGNANT, SOMEBODY STAND UP NOW! and somebody did. Woman, and so it should be, because apart from another woman with a child on her lap she was the far and away the youngest sitting down; about twenty, all the others in their forties or up.

I felt like an old fart and was pleased to be one.