Buses - Why so expensive?

[jgharston 11]

When I use the bus, rarely, I notice that many people, have free passes to use it, not just OAPs but I guess unemployed or asylum seekers.

How do you know they have free passes, have you asked them? I have a pass, but it costs me £9 a week, I used to have an annual pass, cost me several hundred pounds. When I was unemployed I had a pass and again, it cost me money, £7.50 a week if I remember correctly.

I would far rather everybody used a pass rather than spending hours looking for their money when they get on the bus.

How much can you insure the annual pass for?, one year in Sheffield and it's quite likely gonna be stolen at some point!

I had an annual Sheffield travel pass for 11 years, never lost it. Edited October 21, 2011 by jgharston

[miss burger 10]

Busses, so expensive. Remeber when you are compairing stagecoach busses to first weekly tickets that stagecoach only realy run a 88a after 1900, the others are tendered routes the pte pays them to operate, and the 120 is only run after2100 now due to the optio route that came into effect. And have you noticed that the stagecoach 120 runs late ON PURPOSE to run just in front of the first only and take all the passingers. I have seen them wait for the first bus to catch up then go tearing off when they do. This means a jount route that is a combind frequence of every 10 mins ends up as a frequency of 2 busses together every 20 mins.

 

As to why dogs pay a fare, other pets can be carried, so count as hand lugage, but dogs take up floor space/seats that could be used for paying pasingers otherwise. Also, dogs do get travelsick, and a vomit means the bus is out of service until cleaned due to health regs. That is probably why the trams don`t carry dogs.

[JFKvsNixon 11]

Thanks for the info.

 

Could you tell me who decides on which routes are socially desirable.

 

So if i read your post correctly, the bus company says that it can't make a profit on that route, so won't run it. Taxpayer, via SYPTE (?) steps in, and ask bus companies how much it will charge the taxpayer to run the service. Bus company's tender a price, SYPTE pay taxpayers money to bus company.

 

If its not a subsidy or a grant, what is it called?

 

Where I live our bus service which went directly into the city centre was withdrawn by the company because it was unprofitable, leaving us with a bus service from another company which goes on an indirect journey into the city centre. This has turned a maximum 50 minute commute into work into a 90 minute average commute.

 

The taxpayer via SYPTE never stepped in.

[Annoni_mouse 10]

Busses, so expensive. Remeber when you are compairing stagecoach busses to first weekly tickets that stagecoach only realy run a 88a after 1900, the others are tendered routes the pte pays them to operate, and the 120 is only run after2100 now due to the optio route that came into effect. And have you noticed that the stagecoach 120 runs late ON PURPOSE to run just in front of the first only and take all the passingers. I have seen them wait for the first bus to catch up then go tearing off when they do. This means a jount route that is a combind frequence of every 10 mins ends up as a frequency of 2 busses together every 20 mins.

 

As to why dogs pay a fare, other pets can be carried, so count as hand lugage, but dogs take up floor space/seats that could be used for paying pasingers otherwise. Also, dogs do get travelsick, and a vomit means the bus is out of service until cleaned due to health regs. That is probably why the trams don`t carry dogs.

 

I'm sorry but thats simply not true. There are no tendered 88/88a/83 routes operated by SC - the same applies to the 87 and 79 routes, all of which are operated on a commercial basis. The tendered routes operated by Stagecoach Ecclesfield (i.e the depot which operates the 79/83/87/88 etc.) are the 35a, X57, 58, 69, 20/20a and some of the 265 trips (although again, most of these are operated on a commercial basis).

 

The routes in bold are only operated at certain times of day (early morning/late nights) and on a Sunday when, presumably, the regular operator of these routes (First) have decided not to operate them as they arent commercialy viable.

 

I can't speak for the Holbrook depot (who operate the 120/123 etc).

[nomnom 10]

More perfect than your spelling and grammar, yup!

 

this is a forum not a spelling and grammar test. who cares as long as you can read it.