Reversing the decline in passenger numbers
Reversing the decline in passenger numbers
Reasons I prefer driving my car than using the bus....
1. Cost - While the price of using the bus is higher per journey than the equivilant cost in diesel. Factoring in tax, insurance and maintenance makes the car considerably more expensive. But because I'd still need to keep the car for occasions buses don't run or the car is generally more approprate such as long trips or Sunday evenings. I'd still have to pay for tax, insurance and maintanence anyway, so by that stage, I can't afford bus fares on top of those costs. Particularly as I find myself on the wrong side of the Durham District / Peterlee District ticket border. This is made even less clear as the "East Durham All Zones" doesnt seem to cover the entire 3 East Durham zones as I'd assume it would.
2. Reliability - I appreciate there's a driver shortage and timetables have been adjusted to suit. But the operators are still missing trips out and I'm not willing to spent half a hour at the stop to see if the next bus is going to arrive or not. I also recall snowy winters when the buses ran whenever they ran - if at all! So there clearly isn't the local authority infrastucture to deal with cold snaps.
3. Seating - Arriva 24 is the only service through my village which invariably seems to be ran by their "Saphirre" fleet, with rock hard leather seats. Bus seating overall has became less comfortable generally since the l;ate 90's but those leather ones really are something else. My car also has leather seats - but they're comfortable, heated and have lumbar support and I happily drove non stop for 6 hour to the South West the other month and was absolutely fine. 30 minutes on one of those Shitirre buses and I've a numb bum and the back pain is unreal.
4. Windows - I've no specific issue regarding window adverts. But they always seem to put them at the bottom of the window, smack in the middle of my eye line when I'm sat down. And one of the major advantages of catching the bus is being able to look at the scenery instead of watching the road. I hate getting on a but and having to try and hunt for a seat where I can actually see through the window. In winter, this is impossible anyway as the windows are always rotten.
5. Rattles - This seems to be Wrightbus specific. The Scania's and ADL's I've been on recently have been okay. My car (like me) is getting on a bit and comes with the odd rattle here and there. But them Wright's!
Once we've got passed those little issues, I'll happily use the bus more.
