FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORT. (Your views invited).

[botach]

I was always of the impression that a bus going from abutio to cattio must drive down the lanes , and when coming upon a sign pointing to cattio , regultions stated that said bus must turn and drive the oposite way, so as to cover the maximum distance before arriving at cattio.

[Mad Moggie]

Another replies to the above Councillor

I have heard of train spotting and bird watching and in some areas of Bolton - "bus waiting :pocorn: but Cllr Allen seems to have invented a new hobby "bus watching from 9 am to 4 pm.

This does not leave him much time for other council business unless he has a night shift as there are not many buses or cars on the road then.

Cllr Allen does not menton how much of the £12m in subsidies is profit for the bus companies

Eh? Profit is profit .. as in surplus or excess of revenues over expenditure or outlays.. monetary gains. It should not then require a subsidy. Each year I bid for the budget for my patch. If I have any cash left - I do not "rewarded for my thrifty management of lurgy control" - I gets a top up to the budget allocated. So - I make sure I am just "in the red"

This same logic applies to all public purses by the way.. I just play the game to get my full budget and give value for money.

he also says the buses are empty. You could say the same of the cars with just a driver.

Ah... but I dropped off my passenger colleague who does not live with me. and carried on my way! My wife had dropped off her colleague when I met her along the motorway later. We don't work together. Nor do neighbours all work at the same firm either.. so even if you "car share" - you are always going to me the last one out of the car! wink:

Cllr Allen is Tory with a big T-hatcherite streak. I would have more succcess teaching a cat to eat with a knife and fork

Hey steady on.. Wildy 's house trained!

than change his atttitude to the public services which Thatcher considered parasitic"

I'd advise him to carry a brolly at all times as well as the yobs have smashed the bus shelters again

I suppose you could always walk instead of wait for a bus. Or cycle Wildy came back with a Swiss cycling cape Covers everything and keeps one jolly dry too

[Mad Moggie]

Meanwhile on the Manchester tram...per the Manchester postbag last week..

I decided to try the tram the other day - and after shivering for 45 minutes - I struggled to find a seat in an overcrowded tram. They had missed two trams out so by the time this one arrived - you were more or less squashed like sardines in a tin.

The tram was dirty .. chip wrappings, sweet and crisp wrapping and one half eaten pizza adorned the carriage. The seats were dirty as well and the this tram had clearly not been hosed down since it was built.

Will I ever use the tram again? No Never AGAIN!

So.. it seems folk don't like the public transport and unless it's made to the pristine prissy Swissy model .. I don't think we will get back to the convenience which my parents recall - of the same type of trams and connections to other services. I do not know if they look back with rosy lenses and just remember "letting the good times roll" - but I think thorugh neglect we appear to have lost an an ireplaceable asset.

[Mad Moggie]

I was always of the impression that a bus going from abutio to cattio must drive down the lanes , and when coming upon a sign pointing to cattio , regultions stated that said bus must turn and drive the oposite way, so as to cover the maximum distance before arriving at cattio.

I recall visiting my sisters who live down in the Manchester 'burb and deciding to get a bus to town. I could not work out why my sisters let two buses pass and wait a further 20 minutes. It seems the oher two services made a detour serving various housing estates and by doing so - getting on the wrong bus could take three hours to do a half hour ride. It would have taken us about 10 minutes on bikes ... but we were planning to have a glass of wine or two together You can get into bother for being drunk in charge of a bike as well ..

So we need the buses, trains and taxis at affordable fares whether subidised by a portion of our taxation per the Swiss style or run as a completely commercial enterprise