(09 Dec 2020, 2:22 pm)tvd wrote Some of the negatives of bus travel even now are that the bus doesn’t go to where people want to go, they’re too infrequent, don’t run on an evening or on a Sunday, have to change buses.. and so on.
If it ever came to be that millions of people couldn’t afford cars, without huge and expensive changes, many people wouldn’t be able to travel to work, particularly in lower paid jobs.
In those circumstances it would be virtually impossible to connect all local towns and villages in any local area with a realistically good enough bus service.
For most parts of the country I would guess a comprehensive local demand responsive transport network would have to be in place, like a bigger and better version of our Tees Flex.
I agree that a demand responsive could be an option, although I don't know if an entire network across a wider scale could be sustainable.
I do think the current network and resource could be used more effectively and efficiently though.
Using Lanchester as an example - X5/15 follow the same route, bar a short section nearer Consett. Could one divert up to serve Witton Gilbert, Sacriston and the Arnison? All of a sudden the market in the Lanchester area is opened up to a retail park and however number of cars are potentially taken off the road.
The 21, X21 and 50 all operate between Chester and Durham and essentially serve the same audience. You've then got the X20 dropping in half-way along and that pattern continues all the way to Durham.
Appreciate that's a small section of 4 routes, but do they really need that sort of intensity following a similar route between Chester/Plawsworth and Durham? Particularly when the X12, 62 and 64 are in the mix too.
Then the operators complain about the traffic. Is it any wonder there's traffic, when you can't get a bus unless you live on a very small corridor?
There's many other examples which could be used.