(10 Jan 2023, 6:13 pm)Unber43 wrote I've been out today and i've never really heard massive complaints about the service, obviously there is a one of comment every now and then, but every bus I went on all people were doing was complaining about the disgraceful services, and the state of public transport being abysmal.

I wonder if you offered people free driving lessons how many of them would actually still chose to take the bus, my guess would be around 10%

Even if driving lessons were free (hypothetical as there is a shortage of instructors and examiners have been on strike) there is still the cost of running a car as a new driver to consider.

Apart from the people travelling regularly to work, I'm probably highly representative of the sort of people  bus companies need to woo, using the bus for leisure and shopping. I live in Durham City which is quite self contained but doesn't have the big shops. Until 3 years ago, I would head up to Newcastle a couple of time a week for odds and sods.

Several things have happened, though. The price isn't one of them. That has wavered a bit but not changed that much., ignoring the current, short term, £2 singles.

But... 

My buses have shrunk from 6 gne and 2 ane per hour to 4 and 1, and the 4 have pretty poor spacing on the return journey. On Sunday, they've become sod all and I can no longer travel direct to the Metrocentre on any day of the week. 

Quite often, those buses don't run. 


Secondly, or maybe thirdly, so many shops have closed that there is less to tempt me. I can't even pck up any nice bits from Waitrose on my way to ES bus station.

And finally, sharing a bus with smelly people coughing all over me never was pleasant. That is definitely even less appealing than 3 years ago.