Anon OpinOct 13
Growing up, the main bus in my town was every 10 minutes and always packed. I didn't worry about timetables I just left the house and knew it would be there. Now it's every half hour and completely deserted. This is no coincidence. Fund buses properly and people will use them.
Show threadEstarriol, Terrorist DragonOct 13

@anon_opin

have them reliable and plentiful and people use them.

Show threadMike Taylor 🦕Oct 13
@Thebratdragon @anon_opin But also: as usage falls off, running routes becomes unprofitable, so companies run the buses less frequently. It's a vicious circle.
Show thread\u2014Oct 13
@mike @Thebratdragon @anon_opin have you considered that not everything should be required to run at a profit?
Show threadMike Taylor 🦕Oct 13

@pikesley @Thebratdragon @anon_opin Yes, I have considered it and agreed the heck out of it.

The real question is whether the companies running these routes have considered it. I doubt it.

Show thread\u2014Oct 13
@mike @Thebratdragon @anon_opin ok, I'll go you one further: have you considered that none of this should be in private hands?
Show threadMike Taylor 🦕Oct 13
@pikesley @Thebratdragon @anon_opin Yes, I have considered that and agree the heck out out it. But I don't see how to fix it.
Show threadStuart Oct 14
@mike @pikesley @Thebratdragon @anon_opin London managed to mostly go against this trend by not having deregulation forced upon it by central Government unlike most of the rest of E&W e.g. https://constituencies.open-innovations.org/themes/transport/bus-service-changes/
Show threadMike Taylor 🦕Oct 14

@slowe @pikesley @Thebratdragon @anon_opin Interesting! Also, shameful that the rest of the country PUT TOGETHER apparently makes less than half the bus journeys made in London.

(I wonder what that one blue dot west of London means?)

Show threadStuart 
@mike @pikesley @Thebratdragon @anon_opin Didcot.
Oct 14 at 12:23pmWeb
Show threadStuart Oct 14

@mike In the past few years I should note that London gets to have a £1.75 single fare cap whilst the rest of the country was raised (from £2) to £3 by the Chancellor https://www.gov.uk/guidance/3-national-bus-fare-cap (although a few areas have tried to keep it at £2.50).

I'm also reminded of this post by Caroline Lucas https://mastodon.me.uk/deck/@CarolineL[email protected]/113435208228696027 pointing out how the Chancellor extended the 5p fuel duty cut to protect drivers whilst making buses (outside London) more expensive by lifting the fare cap.

£3 national bus fare cap

A list of bus companies and bus routes included in the £3 bus fare cap scheme.

GOV.UK
Show threadStuart Oct 14

@mike I will force myself to hope that the 2025 Bus Services Bill might help outside of London.

This old 2016 report https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80769a40f0b62302693a81/the-bus-services-bill-an-overview.pdf downplays mention of how London was privileged for decades and picks a year range for outside-of-London to avoid it looking as bad as it has been.

Show threadMike Taylor 🦕Oct 14
@slowe That is a very unwholesome combination.
Show threadMortenOct 17
@slowe @mike @pikesley @Thebratdragon @anon_opin All the PhD students and post docs going to work