Annual "outraged at the fare hike" thread

[Minnie_the_Minx]

all those people whining about the bus fares might like to try getting a fairly short bus ride in a provincial town and see how it compares... i know the flat fare does penalise people travelling shorter distances, but bear in mind you can travel as far as the longest bus route in London for £2, and that's piddling compared to a similar journey somewhere like Bournemouth...

anyway, what IS the longest bus route in London?

On top of the Wikipedia entry, there's a long discussion here

http://tangytango.proboards14.com/index.cgi?board=routes&action=display&thread=1129410282&page=1

 

[Dubversion]

I go from Highbury and Islington to Vauxhall and back every day. Costs me 1.50 there and 2.00 to get back (I finish work at 10pm).

But how come, if it's on an Oyster card? if you're using prepay it's not that much

 

[Roadkill]

Yup and it gets worse the further out of London you get. Get this in Watford it would cost us £1.40(min fair) from watford junction to the town center. If you walk it, it would take about 5 minutes and cant be more than 400 meters.

IF you want to go somewhere where you cant actually walk it gets really expensive. From Watford junction to garston bus garage it will cost you £4.50

I feel sorry for the poor fuckers who spend a tenner or more on buses each working day.

IME buses in most northern cities - for short journeys, anyway - aren't massively more expensive than London until you get onto the quiet, rural routes.

And tbh, I'd rather pay a little more for my transport and travel through somewhere decent rather than chugging through grid-locked miles of dismal, grey south London. Reasonable bus fares are but small consolation for having to live in the damned place.

 

[Errol's son]

Was directed at:



If you want to be lazy then it will cost you...

I had no A-Z and so asked the driver who was no help.

I just don't know every street in London - it is a big place.

 

[Guineveretoo]

all those people whining about the bus fares might like to try getting a fairly short bus ride in a provincial town and see how it compares... i know the flat fare does penalise people travelling shorter distances, but bear in mind you can travel as far as the longest bus route in London for £2, and that's piddling compared to a similar journey somewhere like Bournemouth...

anyway, what IS the longest bus route in London?

I don't know the answer to this, but I do know that you can get from Heathrow to East Croydon for a single bus fare, on a bus which is actually as quick as driving, and quicker than other ways of getting here.

 

[Dubversion]

And tbh, I'd rather pay a little more for my transport and travel through somewhere decent rather than chugging through grid-locked miles of dismal, grey south London. Reasonable bus fares are but small consolation for having to live in the damned place.

so you're enjoying your time with us then?

 

[Guineveretoo]

I can understand people driving in suburban London - I am about to drive to Argos to spend my Christmas vouchers on stuff for my bathroom - but I really can't understand why anyone would drive across London, or in central London. To do so would be completely mad!

 

[maomao]

But how come, if it's on an Oyster card? if you're using prepay it's not that much

It is that much. The barrier at H&I tells you exactly how much it costs. Minimum fare on tube atm is 1.50. You're thinking of buses.

 

[Dubversion]

It is that much. The barrier at H&I tells you exactly how much it costs. Minimum fare on tube atm is 1.50. You're thinking of buses.

sorry, you're right - i was thinking bus fares cos of a previous post of someone else's or summat

 

[Roadkill]

so you're enjoying your time with us then?

That was a slightly uncalled-for dig on my part, I suppose... Sorry.

 

[Dubversion]

That was a slightly uncalled-for dig on my part, I suppose... Sorry.

No need to apologise!

 

[maldwyn]

Anyone ever manage to reclaim the £3 oystercard deposit, can I simply return it to my local retailer? Looking at the tfl website it seems there’s a minimum £5 administration charge on refunds.

I always find it bizarre to see London fares compared with those of provincial towns - (1) we’re a capital city for gawdsake, (2) any number of buses may be required to reach ones final destination.

Hot tip: get a weekly bus pass.

 

[Chairman Meow]

*Posts annual smug 'I'm so glad I don't live in London any more' post. *

 

[CaviarCigarets]

As a non-Londoner and one who has no idea about the bus system (I was told that on Bendy buses you don't pay the driver or something?) the hike in tube prices will affect me as I use them to get round London when I'm up there.

Just as a comparison a weekly pass on Stagecoach round here is £12 and that covers all journeys going up from Farnham to Camberley. Having seen the latest London prices that looks fairly good in respect.

 

[ELO]

As a non-Londoner and one who has no idea about the bus system (I was told that on Bendy buses you don't pay the driver or something?) the hike in tube prices will affect me as I use them to get round London when I'm up there.

OK there is no need for you to pay the new prices, even without an oyster

Bendy buses, you have to pre-pay at a machine by the road side. One day pass at 3 pounds 50 is the one to go for.

Tube, look if you can get a station> zones 1-6 1 day travelcard (assuming you come to London by train?). That can be cheaper than a cheap day return to Londonplus a travel card. As a semi regular London tourist via Chiltern rail, that's the one I get.

Failing that, the one day zones1-4 travelcard is still quite good value at 5 pounds 40p (no mention on the TFL website of that going up). That gives you as much tube as you want within the four central zones (enough for most people).

If you want the whole tube system, it's 6 pounds 30 (still less than two journeys at the new price) but you don't need that unless you are exploring far reaches of London or going to heathrow.


(anything I've missed there anyone??)


F*ck I've got no money and you've got me pining for a day in the smoke

 

[pinkmonkey]

No, it's not, unless you enjoy sitting in long queues/slow moving traffic while polluting the air and contributing to congestion.

It is, however, cheaper and faster to cycle.

I finally decided to start cycling this year, thank feck I did. It took me a while to get my confidence up, but I live a long way from a bus stop and I'm skint so it kind of forced things for me. I am fortunate in Tottenham though. The places I travel to for grocery shopping are 90% cycle path, which I'm grateful for when I'm wobbling home with a fit-to-burst backpack.

It's so, so quick to cycle too - I save lots of time on journeys where you'd nortmally have to change buses.

Those prices are outrageous BTW

 

[Tank Girl]

Just as a comparison a weekly pass on Stagecoach round here is £12 and that covers all journeys going up from Farnham to Camberley. Having seen the latest London prices that looks fairly good in respect.

a weekly bus pass in london is currently £13.50, I think it's going up by a pound next week.

if I heard correctly on the news, the cost of a single fare on the tube will remain the same as this year, on oyster.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

No, it's not, unless you enjoy sitting in long queues/slow moving traffic while polluting the air and contributing to congestion.

It is, however, cheaper and faster to cycle.

The irony about car use is it's far far nicer to be in them when it's either too hot or too cold...

 

[mhwfc]

IME buses in most northern cities - for short journeys, anyway - aren't massively more expensive than London until you get onto the quiet, rural routes.

And tbh, I'd rather pay a little more for my transport and travel through somewhere decent rather than chugging through grid-locked miles of dismal, grey south London. Reasonable bus fares are but small consolation for having to live in the damned place.

In the Northern cities the buses and trains generally are heavily subsidised by the local public transport executives (part of the council I assume) so to my South Herts eyes they seem stupid cheap whenever I'm up there. It's more expensive on the non tfl subsidised routes round here, but I wouldn't exactly call it more inspiring than most of South London!

 

[portman]

Has it been mentioned this year yet?

£2 minimum for a bus journey (£1 with Oyster)
£4 minimum for the tube

OUTBLOODYRAGEOUS

For some reason, shorter routes always work out more expensive. It's not just a London issue, it also applies out here in the sticks. From where I am in the eastern part of Thurrock, a return to Basildon is £3. Which compared to the cash prices on offer in London, is starting to look reasonable. Yet a return the Chelmsford which is two and a half times the distance comes in at £5 which seems like a bargain in comparison!

 

[Guineveretoo]

Bendy buses, you have to pre-pay at a machine by the road side. One day pass at 3 pounds 50 is the one to go for.

Within central London, unless you have a travelcard or Oyster card, you have to pre-pay for ALL buses at a machine at the bus stop - not just the bendy buses.... It used to be just the bendy buses, but it was extended to be all of them...

 

[Errol's son]

No, it's not, unless you enjoy sitting in long queues/slow moving traffic while polluting the air and contributing to congestion.

It is, however, cheaper and faster to cycle.

Whilst I agree that motoring isn't doing the planet any favours, I disagree that public transport is quicker at least if you work around south London.

I base myself in East Dulwich when in London. If you are working in East Sheen public transport is simply a nightmare. Sometimes public transport can be quicker on other routes if the journey is relatively direct. Sometimes there are road traffic accidents and sometimes there are roadworks and so sometimes public transport wins over the car in these cases. But in general, if you know back streets, you can get around quicker in a car. Getting from south London into central London and back out if you are a commuter may well be quicker than driving and I don't disagree that cycling is quick and clean. But in south London too many trains run only every half hour and if you miss one train you are down half an hour and before you know it it has taken you an hour and a half to get from one place to another.

I only tend to drive during the day when I am working. If the trains were very regular and it was easy to phone train enquiries and get an accurate answer quickly I would be more willing to use public transport. In the evening I generally stay in East Dulwich so have little need to travel around the capital.

 

[lighterthief]

Has it been mentioned this year yet?

£2 minimum for a bus journey (£1 with Oyster)
£4 minimum for the tube



OUTBLOODYRAGEOUS

The minimum fare for the tube is £3, not £4. You only pay £4 if your journey takes you through Zone 1 as far as I can make out.

 

[PacificOcean]

You lot are lucky. I cannot get a pre pay oyster card as I cannot use it from my local station. So, as I am currently looking for work, I have to get daily Tavelcards.

I had an interview at 9am in Central London before Christmas and a one day peak Travelcard for zones 1 to 6 was TWELVE fucking quid. For someone who isn't working that is a hell of a lot of money.

 

[trashpony]

You lot are lucky. I cannot get a pre pay oyster card as I cannot use it from my local station. So, as I am currently looking for work, I have to get daily Tavelcards.

I had an interview at 9am in Central London before Christmas and a one day peak Travelcard for zones 1 to 6 was TWELVE fucking quid. For someone who isn't working that is a hell of a lot of money.

That's just crap. You should write to Ken.

 

[joevsimp]

You lot are lucky. I cannot get a pre pay oyster card as I cannot use it from my local station. So, as I am currently looking for work, I have to get daily Tavelcards.

I had an interview at 9am in Central London before Christmas and a one day peak Travelcard for zones 1 to 6 was TWELVE fucking quid. For someone who isn't working that is a hell of a lot of money.

funny enough, i was going to ask that,

when i'm going between home (rainham) and uni (brighton) i just walk or cycle from london bridge to Fenchurch st, that way i only pay for the outrageous national rail ticket prices

 

[aurora green]

I'm not bothered by comparissons to how expensive bus fares are in other areas, what I want to know is how the fuck is a 25% increase justifiable?

 

[dolly's gal]

it's a disgrace, no word of a lie. i had to go to the doctors on tuesday and my partner had accidentally stolen my oyster card. let's just say 4 quid for 2 bus journies didn't amuse me in the slightest

 

[Tank Girl]

what I can't understand is how ken says that the rises are needed to pay for improvements etc, but is also saying how the price rises will encourage people to go onto oyster, so they'll pay less.

doesn't add up does it?

 

[aurora green]

what I can't understand is how ken says that the rises are needed to pay for improvements etc, but is also saying how the price rises will encourage people to go onto oyster, so they'll pay less.

doesn't add up does it?

That 'paying less with oyster' crap is just utter bullshit.
We might be paying less than with cash, but we've still had a 25% price hike.
I think it's shocking.