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#1
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Tom A
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Joined: 26-09-03
Feb 16 2006 15:27
FirstGroup

Not sure if this is the right area, this is more of a rant than anything else, but here goes...

Just been reading up on Indymedia about the campaigns against First Bus in Sheffield, and this made me think about the general crappiness of First on my home turf, Stoke-on-Trent/the Potteries. My local service is usually every 10 minutes during the week, but this is dramatically reduced to hourly on Sundays, and the first buses to and from Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre are well after 9am. What is worse is that a single fare is £1.30, there are no returns so going from A to B and back to A again is £2.60, and a "FirstDay" day ticket is a whopping £3.50.

I am not aware with everyone elses gripes with buses elsewhere, but surely this must be among the most expensive bus fares in the country? I have recently travelled on buses in Lancaster, Manchester, and Birmingham, and fares there can be up to £1 less than back in the Potteries.

#2
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BB
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Joined: 12-08-04
Feb 16 2006 16:19

Brighton single £1.50.

Allday local saver £2.80.

City Saver. £3.50.

#3
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cantdocartwheels's picture
cantdocartwheels
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Joined: 15-03-04
Feb 17 2006 18:08

colchester, on average

single £1.40/£1.50

Return £2.10/£2.20

Inner Area Day Rover £2.70

A week pass recently went up to £12 i think, tho i haven't got one for ages. If you work 5 days a week, that doesn't really make it worth it anymore whereas it used to be a tenner.

Theres been a price increase of about 10-15% a year. Coupled with whats likely to be a disruption and decrease in services in the coming year.

Pretty shit to be honest. Got any weblinks about the campaign in sheffeild i can't find the indymedia article.

#4
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sam sanchez's picture
sam sanchez
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Joined: 8-09-05
Feb 18 2006 12:16

I reckon a good way to sort out the shite buses would be for bus users to set up their own bus service as a consumer co-operative, with policy decided by both workers and member(consumers)s.

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Caiman del Barrio
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Joined: 28-09-04
Feb 18 2006 13:21
Tom A wrote:
My local service is usually every 10 minutes during the week, but this is dramatically reduced to hourly on Sundays, and the first buses to and from Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre are well after 9am. What is worse is that a single fare is £1.30, there are no returns so going from A to B and back to A again is £2.60, and a "FirstDay" day ticket is a whopping £3.50.

Sounds pretty standard to me, if anything I think you have it slightly better than most. An hourly bus service is pretty good on Sundays if you ask me. I'm assuming you mean buses around big towns, not ones going on rural routes??

#6
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oisleep's picture
oisleep
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Joined: 20-04-05
Feb 18 2006 19:58

you should move to london, we've got a great transport system here, ask jack, he'll fill you in

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IanB
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Joined: 17-02-06
Feb 19 2006 00:00

My local first bus service is one bus every hour and another service once every 2 hours that only lasts until 7pm. Another stroke of genius is that there is no bus service to the nearest train station. Oh yeah, there's no buses on a Sunday 'cause everyone just lies in bed reading the Sunday papers obviously. roll eyes

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oisleep's picture
oisleep
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Joined: 20-04-05
Feb 19 2006 19:51

yep your right jack, that trip you took on the number 28, and tom's conundrum make it a fairly open & shut case i'd wager

anyway, how you been lately? not had much of a chance to engage in social intercourse with you of late

#9
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cmdrdeathguts
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Joined: 25-08-05
Feb 20 2006 00:33

it's like £1.80 for a single from my house in the 'burbs into town (Plymouth), and £2.50 for a dayrider...to be honest, i'm quite happy to walk for all distances up to like 3 miles, so i just keep the money and spend it on an overpriced coffee. in London, obviously, walking everywhere isn't possible. which is why student discount tube passes = teh sex0r.

#10
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jef costello's picture
jef costello
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Joined: 9-02-06
Feb 20 2006 00:42

Unfortunately I won't be a student of any description some september so I'll be paying full price. I've blagged it the last two years when not eligible tho smile