Written by Frederica
Last week I lined up ‘Transport’ as my next Grumpy Old Woman topic from the fairly long list of things that are on my annoyance radar. Therefore, I don’t know whether to feel flattered or chagrined that Boris appears to have anticipated me!
I have long been musing on the fact that politicians generally cannot resist an opportunity to blame ‘The People’ for any unsatisfactory state of affairs that have been generated by their own kind during the terms of one government or another. In recent times they have been wont to castigate us all for getting into our cars in order to travel from A to B and back again. They abdicate any responsibility for the abysmal state of the public transport system, due to many years of destructive tinkering. No! No! No! It is all our fault … again!
When I was growing up, the bus services were run locally by Councils and further afield by regional bus divisions. Many people did not have a car at all. In those days it was possible to reach the coast from the town in which I live, in three different directions in order to enjoy a day out by the seaside. One could always be sure of finding a bus upon which to return home at a realistic time at the end of the day. I was used to take my small daughter out in this way, quite confident that we would have no trouble reaching home in time for supper and bed!
Bus stations were people-friendly. Open-air bays with painted signage above giving details of all the bus journey numbers and their routes. Seats where people could while away any waiting time whilst chatting to fellow passengers companionably. Contrast today where the bus stations are more often than not hidden beneath the ‘dark satanic mills’ of the central shopping malls in town centres. Where fumes gather and the grim surroundings of discoloured concrete stanchions (one cannot but wonder quite what caused some of those suspicious discolourations in the first place!) make one depressed and anxious rather than anticipatory of a pleasant journey ahead.
Today planning a journey is a very much more complicated matter. Split journeys, where one has to change buses en-route and where the timetables do not dovetail. Meaning there is often a wait of more than an hour to pick up the connection. Fare stages are often so complicated that you need to be an arithmetical genius to work out whether you are being ripped off or not! Timetables that are so obtuse that you cannot be certain that you will find a bus to return home at a time that fits in with your schedule. This does not make for a relaxing day out. It used to be so peaceful to sit on the top deck and watch the countryside roll by while someone else watched the road and did the driving. Now (or at least before Lockdown) it is more reliable (although less pleasant) to take your own car.
Similarly, a trip out by train was a simple matter to arrange. One simply decided upon the destination and consulted the man in the ticket office at the station as to train times (there and back), fares and whether any changes were necessary on the way. A trip up to London for a day’s shopping was a breeze. If you were happy to travel after 09.30 and return before 16.30 you got a cheap day ticket. You could also be sure of purchasing a day ticket covering red buses (with a handy map showing all the numbers of all the bus routes that linked up (shown inside circular balloons on the map). A similar day ticket for tube fares to get you around was also available. Thus the areas you planned to visit were well within reach.
It is not like that any more! Fares have been progressively hiked – all in the interest of profit margins for the private franchise holders – and too complicated to understand. There is no longer a helpful clerk on duty at the ticket office to assist and advise. Train times are no longer reliable and caveats abound regarding the costly transgressions it is possible to incur without realising. It has been observed that:
“In recent years, the bulk of transport investment has gone towards train projects such as HS2, Crossrail and electrification”.
Politicians caused these unsatisfactory matters. Politicians took all the fun out of recreational travel with their tinkering and meddling, because of their obsession with ‘privatisation’ in order to take the majority of the costs and responsibilities off the public balance sheet.
The clue is in the title: ’Public Transport’! Governments would say “ah but we have set up independent regulators to control how these things are run”. So they might have done. But there their input ended! In my estimation such bodies are anything but independent. Neither do they have any interest in ‘regulating’ anything to serve the interests of the unfortunate public who have to use the facilities of the systems they were set up to regulate!
Governments seem to believe that, as with all their all too frequent dictatorial ‘decrees’, they only have to legislate, appoint or demand, and the whole new system will evolve and run as if by magic.They do not appreciate that, as with all systems and processes, it is necessary to audit, check and adjust at regular intervals to ensure that the process remains fit for purpose!
Now our PM, anxious for some kind of ‘win-win’, has issued the following decree:
“In a major transport shake-up, the Prime Minister will also unveil simpler fares with daily price caps for multiple journeys across different types of public transport. Councils and operators will be told to work to increase the frequency of services so passengers can ‘turn up and go’, with main route service so frequent that timetables could be ditched. More buses will be put on in the evenings and at weekends and all will accept contactless payments. A £3billion investment will help fund 4,000 UK-built electric or hydrogen vehicles to provide clean, quiet and zero-emission travel. There will also be a consultation on an end-date to the sale of new diesel buses.”
Very praiseworthy Prime Minister! But somehow I have my doubts whether Boris (or anyone else for that matter) has done a feasibility study (now when have they ever bothered to do one of those?) as to the ramifications of how the present system will need to be adapted in order to bring about the Utopian return to real Public Transport that the ‘great man’ has ordered! As if…….!
Photo by Elsie esq. 
In 1937 aged 4 I walked with my German Gran to the tram terminus. Put into the care of the Driver, who knew where I got off.. I instantly made my way to the top of the stairsand into the front open air seats. Obviously in charge. With instructions from Gran to bang on the floor if driver was slack.
In 1941 School and I were out in the country , but the Welsh country bus terminus was on the way and the driver could if he wanted give an indelible stamp on your arm.. A sign of your importance.and much admired by the fair sex.
In 1943 South Birmingham There were three ways into Brum. Best was country train direct to New Srtreet,Second best was Bus to Main Bristol ,then tram to New Street . .FinallyThe tram was discontinued ( 1946 ish.),then replaced by a trolley bus ( Pathetic ). Then replaced again by bus.
From 1944, The Bus to school was a country bus loved by all, with Tube style seating eg Contiouous seating facing inwards. And two squares facing fore and aft of four sets( = 12 ) facin front and back to give squares for gossiping. I saw an old one in use in Malta in the 80’s
The trams wer far and away the best.
It was the travelling public that did for the buses. Back in the 60’s, we all went out and bought cars. We all share equal guilt.
Re trolleybuses. They are only viable on heavily used routes due to the cost of maintaining the overhead power network.
You still find them in other countries
Though why they didn’t bring them back instead of trams beats me, the cost of the rail installation must be massive
How is the Great Wizard, BJ, going to prevent all these wonderful buses being destroyed by yobs who take great pleasure in throwing large rocks and other debris at moving buses, at the risk of life and limb to the brave travellers (and drivers) ?
These same yobs who only seem to be brave enough to attack buses under the cover of darkness !
BJ firstly needs to address THAT little problem so that would-be customers can feel safe when travelling !
Frederica……..I am glad that you put Boris Johnson as a ‘great man in inverted comers. A great man he most certainly is not, but like most out of touch of politicians of which there are many, that description would only apply in their own minds. Over the years a number of political parties have mentioned an ‘integrated transport system’ in their election manifesto’s but this this has never come to fruition. It is just one of those topics put out into the public domain because its sounds good in the hope that it might garner them some extra votes. I wouldn’t trust Johnson to run a bath let alone a country. With him its is all meaningless hot air. It would be great if this country did have an integrated transport system once again because it doesn’t half need it. I think at one time this country did have an integrated transport but that went out when Beeching railway cuts were made in the mid 1960’s and then the final blow of Bus regulation in the 1980’s. If he and his successors really harbour ambitions to reduce car travel on our roads they are going to have to have a replacement. And why did our foolhardy politicians get rid of the trolley bus network, which proves the political class possess no foresight whatsoever, green transport system if ever there was one, which could have been developed over the years.
re above should read Bus de-regulation.
I lived in Holland. There they have an ”integrated transport system”.
All the big / main cities are joined by trains. From the train stations there are trams for the local area. For further afield there are bus routes that radiate from the stations. The whole thing works well most of the time.
But careful what you wish for. It needs to be thought through.
I needed to get back to Britain on the same day as the train unions went on strike. It is only then I realised the only way to get to Schipol airport was by train! The buses radiate from the train stations but do not overlap. Hence you cannot get from say Leiden to Den Haag except by train.
Cycling from an area South, towards Rotterdam area, to Amsterdam Schipol (with luggage) was a non starter.
One other problem that is often overlooked is hygiene. Tramps in Holland ride on the trams (nice and warm in cold weather) until they are thrown off. Then they get another tram.
Let’s just say you are about to take a seat when you realise the seat like its previous occupent has fleas.
Burnt Toast, were you one of those tramps travelling the buses at night in Holland then? I can picture the image of you wearing a green Jeremiah Greengrass army great coat with an alarm clock tied to the belt, and a large bag carrying all your worldly goods including a loaf of bread and Russell and Hobbs Toaster. You seem to have an in depth knowledge of it…….
Chummy, your interesting way of endearing people to you does not bode well when trying to be elected.
Like dog poo on my shoe you will be ignored except for the smell of filth.
Exactly Colin! He really doesn’t mean it! Boris is a ‘here and thereian’. Someone puts a thought into his non retentive brain cell. After it has permeated out of his mouth, it simply disappears into the ether never to be heard of again! Nothing will ever come of this. The cost will be too prohibitive! The ‘Wizard of Oz’ has spoken and the tin man the straw man and the cowardly lion will all marvel at his words that will soon be forgotten as sure as night turns into day! Sadly, our political system has become so degraded now that the people no longer expect anything better and might well not recognise it if it ever turned up one day in their cornflakes!
Frederica…….miaow. You detest BJ and all of his hot air as much as I do then!!!!
I had hopes some years ago that Uber would morph into a perfect transport system. But of course successful drivers/ companies want to grow by the most obvious method. ( Like buying and selling houses, or mosque organisations byepassing mortgages etc – ). But for things to grow they need something free or easy to give something free to give incentives. This all comes down to minimum regulation and maximum incentive for innovation . like say a motor car train etc.a la Sinclair Ken Wood, Dyson etc.
Regulation , Discipline, organisation ( Governments and Civil services) are all irrelevant and in fact can stifle, innovation.
So don’t expect anything soon.
PS Nice and evocative. Look at all those makesof bus.
The red & yellow one is from Huddersfield.
T.G.S. Yes and they are double decker too. Why on earth are there so few double deckers now?
Also, you used to be able to open windows on public transport.
It used to be the case that upstairs on a bus one was allowed to smoke. Everybody was catered for without inconveniencing other passengers. Those were the days.
Pauline…………..so you’re a bus spotter on the quiet are you? Never mind you could always settle for a Cadbury’s Double Decker instead!!!
No Colin, I am 76yrs. old and still have a memory.
As for those that want an integrated transport system let them have it or not as case may be.
Living where I do now, it would be totally irrelevant to where I want to go. So I must have my own car. There are not even genuine taxis here.
E.V. cars are totally impractical also. It’s not possible to charge them overnight, for the great majority, including me. Even if it were, we depend on France for back up electricity when sun and wind fail.
In other words our present Government does not have a clue as you say, how to run a bath.
My only hope is that my Country will somehow muddle through like it has before, though I doubt I’ll be around much longer to see it.