(14 Aug 2016, 7:20 pm)Jamie M wrote They are providing public transport, but this is a private company - they aren't accountable for much if they have no desire to be - which they don't if they have no competition.
It's the same with my broadband provider, it's a truely awful service which slow and unreliable. Since there is no competition and the service works (to some dire extent) they will not operate any changes since I cannot swap to other providers without swapping residence - such is true with monopolies. Morals and ethics don't count for much.
If the business was state owned, then yes, things would be different given it wouldn't just be structured around a savage money making business - it would be a public service business - actually aimed at providing a decent service no matter the turnover.
This is why i miss my childhood where there was a bus to everywhere,Forest Hall(my neighbourhood) had 3 buses to Whitley Bay 343,344,355 and then GNE 323 to North Shields from Killingworth and the 319 to Sunderland,now it has no buses to Whitley Bay(directly anyway)leaving residents no choice but to buy a day ticket for a change from 53 to the 54 or 53 to the 51 or gne 42 then the 11