A friend of mine has done a post on another forum about peoples perceptions of the bus industry, which has set me wondering what peoples perceptions of the transport industry as a whole are. I am quite interested in this seen as I work in the transport industry and was brought up around the transport industry.

What do you think the good things that the transport industry does or provides?
What things aren't the transport industry so good at?
What do you think the transport industry could improve on?
Is there anything you think that is being done right and therefore does not need improving?
How do you think the transport industry could promote itself better?

Discuss

NB - Lets not turn this into another bus bashing thread and comments about routes that have been taken off. Bus companies do not have finite financial resources and therefore if a route is not being utilised or not making a decent profit and it is not a tendered route then it makes good business sense to get rid of it, even if the few passengers that use it will not be happy. Before anyone has a go about that I live in an area near to meadowhall where the bus service to meadowhall was cut in January, so I have experience of losing a bus route, but I have enough common sense to know it was not financially viable for the company to continue to run it.

I think the industry should make their passengers smarten themselves up a bit. I've seen better dressed (and smelling) tramps than some passengers I've had the misfortune to sit next to on a bus.

I use trains and buses every day.

My suggestions:

- more carriages on trains
- less fictional timetables for buses. I realise that they cannot always be accurate, but they could at least tell the truth about the regularity. They always seem to add extra 'ghost' buses that I have never seen run, so 10 minute gaps are actually 20 or more
- playing music through any kind of speaker on public transport should incur a fine
- whatever the problem is with clutch/brake control on buses should be rectified

And that's it!

- Clean the buses MUCH more, they are, on the whole - disgusting.
- Add carriages to trains during peak times.
- Bring back bus conductors.
- Allow train, tram and bus conductors to throw badly behaved passengers off the service if they don't behave. Ie unruly behaviour should not be tolerated.

Probably best not to get me started on ipod speakers. Quality in ear headphones are not expensive, if you have afford an iPod you can definitely afford a pair of headphones that enhance your listening experience and ensure the rest of us aren't forced to share your tastes in music when we leave our headphones at home. Oops - I got myself started. :roll:

The bus industry doesn't seem to be to good at marketing itself.

Many people have a very poor, perception of bus travel which in many ways isn't accurate / up to date. I don't see the companies doing much to rectify that.

They also don't seem overly keen to market new initiatives. I well remember the launch of a "Smart" (Quality Bus) Corridor, on which the Council had spent £millions on infrastructure improvements. I wanted the bus companies to distribute free weekly tickets to residents and employers in the area, but all they were prepared to offer was a few day tickets. The whole marketing effort from the PTE and the bus companies left me somewhat underwhelmed and it's pretty much the same story over here in Manchester.

I would have expected large national companies like these to make better marketing efforts.

Many people have a very poor, perception of bus travel which in many ways isn't accurate / up to date. I don't see the companies doing much to rectify that.

How can they when most of what's levelled at them has substance??

When dropping off my car for servicing last week, I decided, so as not to impose on any of my friends for a lift, I'd use the public transport system to get home.

The weather was nice, I'd no need to rush, and it seemed stupid to spend £20-00 to get a cab home when I could hop on a bus at a fraction of the cost. Besides, I'd not been on a bus in twenty years so it would be an adventure, right?

Hmmm. Let's just say that I will NEVER be repeating the exercise. It was heinous!

The bus itself was smelly, dirty and oppressive. For the duration of the journey I had enforced MP3 music rammed down my ears.

The majority of seats appeared to be full of extra's from Shameless. The people at the back also had their feet up on other seats!

Mechanically, the bus sounded like it had been put together by a group of four year old's on their lunch hour at playgroup - and the driving? let's not even go there. I witnessed for myself an elderly couple who almost fell on the floor after a driver closed the doors and set off way too soon.

Shocking! Absolutely shocking.

To add insult to injury, I got charged more for my journey than it would have cost me in petrol (and I drive a thirsty 2.5 V6 beast)

So, my point is. Why on earth would I choose to sit in that hideously unattractive environment, when instead I could be in my nice, clean, comfortable car surrounded by cream leather, air conditioning and Mahler's 5th (or Kylie, depending on which mood I'm in)

:huh:

How can they when most of what's levelled at them has substance??

When dropping off my car for servicing last week, I decided, so as not to impose on any of my friends for a lift, I'd use the public transport system to get home.

The weather was nice, I'd no need to rush, and it seemed stupid to spend £20-00 to get a cab home when I could hop on a bus at a fraction of the cost. Besides, I'd not been on a bus in twenty years so it would be an adventure, right?

Hmmm. Let's just say that I will NEVER be repeating the exercise. It was heinous!

The bus itself was smelly, dirty and oppressive. For the duration of the journey I had enforced MP3 music rammed down my ears.

The majority of seats appeared to be full of extra's from Shameless. The people at the back also had their feet up on other seats!

Mechanically, the bus sounded like it had been put together by a group of four year old's on their lunch hour at playgroup - and the driving? let's not even go there. I witnessed for myself an elderly couple who almost fell on the floor after a driver closed the doors and set off way too soon.

Shocking! Absolutely shocking.

To add insult to injury, I got charged more for my journey than it would have cost me in petrol (and I drive a thirsty 2.5 V6 beast)

So, my point is. Why on earth would I choose to sit in that hideously unattractive environment, when instead I could be in my nice, clean, comfortable car surrounded by cream leather, air conditioning and Mahler's 5th (or Kylie, depending on which mood I'm in)

:huh:

Not every bus is like that, a lot that I've been on are pretty good, but there's always room for improvement.

You can't expect the fare to be less than the cost of petrol. The operator has to take into acount all of the costs of providing the service. Your car costs you a lot more than just the cost of the fuel.

So, my point is. Why on earth would I choose to sit in that hideously unattractive environment, when instead I could be in my nice, clean, comfortable car surrounded by cream leather, air conditioning and Mahler's 5th (or Kylie, depending on which mood I'm in)

I agree. So there is a need for 'luxury' buses for us! I'd gladly pay extra for huge leather seats and piped classical music. A doorman on the bus door to prevent undesirables. Maybe a waiter service as well. :)

I agree. So there is a need for 'luxury' buses for us! I'd gladly pay extra for huge leather seats and piped classical music. A doorman on the bus door to prevent undesirables. Maybe a waiter service as well. :)


I think you may be the only one as people round here moan enough about the price of bus fares.
Regarding your waiter service comment when stagecoach which actually running a coach service from areas of scotland to london rather than operating as a bus company they used to provide food on their coaches

Your car costs you a lot more than just the cost of the fuel.

A lot of people seem to forget this fact.

Basically, I commend them for getting me to work on time every day. But I think it does cost far too much. £20 a week is not the end of the world, but if the government are really trying to promote public transport, then I think they should work on reducing prices. It shouldn't be about profit and lining fat cat's pockets.

Compared to Greek,Malaysian,Turkish and Egyption public transport ours is fantastic. Compared to the integrated services in Holland the UK is pants.
The tram is acceptable, it's clean,tidy and usually "moderated" well by the clippy. The buses are useless,i force myself to catch one on the rare occasion(similar to Stagey's) when walking is not an option.

The bus industry doesn't seem to be to good at marketing itself.

Many people have a very poor, perception of bus travel which in many ways isn't accurate / up to date. I don't see the companies doing much to rectify that.

They also don't seem overly keen to market new initiatives. I well remember the launch of a "Smart" (Quality Bus) Corridor, on which the Council had spent £millions on infrastructure improvements. I wanted the bus companies to distribute free weekly tickets to residents and employers in the area, but all they were prepared to offer was a few day tickets. The whole marketing effort from the PTE and the bus companies left me somewhat underwhelmed and it's pretty much the same story over here in Manchester.

I would have expected large national companies like these to make better marketing efforts.


Perhaps public money shouldn't be spent on such schemes if the companies that will benefit can't be bothered to back them properly.

You can't expect the fare to be less than the cost of petrol. The operator has to take into acount all of the costs of providing the service. Your car costs you a lot more than just the cost of the fuel.

Indeed. But unlike a bus, my car, although it's a beast, doesn't have the potential to fit 75 seated and 14 standing paying passengers.

Neither is it subsidised.

Neither does it make a huge profit for fat cat bosses at the expense of Joe public.

I've no desire to go on and on about it. All I'm saying is that given my experiences of late, no-one's going to be luring me away from my car, not now or at any point in the future.

The people at the back also had their feet up on other seats!

Horrors! How did you survive?

:huh:

Peoples perceptions of the public transport industry?

Trains, planes and Buses... are perceived by me as expensive, poorly-organised, cattle conveyances... With some of the cattle carried, being highly objectionable to accompany.

Which is why I use my own private transport, as do many others, who will continue to do so despite all attempts to discourage it!