(05 Nov 2014, 10:20 am)eezypeazy wrote Which is precisely why it's so difficult to shift motorists out of their cars and back on to buses - it's a mix of price, the level of bus services, and the value (utility) of cheap, modern cars. No matter how cheap the bus fare, or how frequent the service, it can rarely compete with the convenience of having your own set of wheels outside your front door.
What tips it over in the favour of public transport is other factors: eg., it costs £12 to park for a day at the Centre for Life in Newcastle if you're catching a train. Or London-style congestion charging - that's now £11.50 a day, you've got to be desperate to take a car into central London!
As a motorist, I would love the opportunity to ditch the car and save money by using the bus. But for me the incentive just isn't there. Perhaps, if I worked (and lived, and socialised) in Newcastle, I'd be more inclined to use public transport because of the frequency of service and the value of fares. However, realistically, I'd probably just either walk or use my bike more often (I do cycle into Newcastle now - when the weather permits).
When driving into Newcastle I always manage to find a free parking location. Unlike other motorists, most of whom are prepared to pay a premium for the closest available parking space, I don't mind walking ten minutes to save a little bit of money. Perhaps I'm unique in that sense.