Yesterday I had a Dr's appointment and caught the ONLY bus into the little town, but because I had planned on walking home I only brought a one way.
Trouble was it then rained like stink and I couldn't be sure the bus would come back through town. No one else had got on or off when I did and if that happens the driver often misses the town out on the way back!
My Dr's appointment had left me a little sorry for myself and I *shame* called Kim to come get me in the Landrover.
Do I call that falling off the wagon?? Or falling off the Bike ? ;)
The point is I wouldn't have cycled in that day and had to rely on the bus, but the bus can not be relied upon.
Is this the main reason people feel they HAVE to own a car??
A couple of years ago Kim tried taking public transport into work. He would catch the commuter bus at 7am and it would take him into town to catch the train. Trouble was on more than on occasion the bus would be late, or in some cases not turn up at all.
This would mean he would miss his train and have to run home and drive into work. Of course though he had paid for a season ticket, but at the end of this period he worked out that using public transport (AND his own when public transport failed him) had cost him significantly MORE than if he had just driven.
So what is the incentive????
How can governments ask you to drive less but give you no alternative??
Lets face it not everyone is able to grab two wheels. What about the elderly, the heavily pregnant, the ill, the injured?
Any government serious about fighting climate change should be pushing for more reliable public transport for everyone.
When there are only 2 buses out of my village (one 5 days a week to train station, leave 7am, home 6.30 pm. One bus to BIG town once a week, only 2 hrs allowed for visit before coming home again)what incentive is there for the villagers to give up their cars?
Parents want to take their children to activities after school or at the weekend. People work in the week and are unable to use the bus into the big town. Other people have different working start and finish times and so are unable to use the commuter bus and train.
What we need are incentives. A tax break? Low fares? A cash incentive after so many journeys maybe? Lay on the transport and make it attractive.
Three or four buses a day into town would cover a lot of people, incentives to buy season tickets would mean buses would not be in danger of running at a loss.
Where can we take it from here?
That sucks that the public transit is so unreliable. Growing up I lived in a smallish town, about 10 min outside London Ontario. There was no public transit within our village, and no way into London. So as a kid I always had to rely on parents to get into the city. Its definitely something that needs to be addressed in smaller villages and rural areas.
ReplyDeleteAnd not everyone can afford the cost and upkeep of a car so what are those people along with the elderly and pregnant supposed to do if they don't want to bike? Another consideration is not everyone feels comfortable biking in the snow.
I think incentives and accessibility would be great places to start. And maybe for people traveling to the same area for work a carpool incentive. I think a low fare season ticket along with some sort of tax credit would help considerably.
Kim tried carpoling as well..seriously the trafic that leaves this village every morning is mind boggling..but no luck..not ONE person wanted to do it! He even joined a website where you registered your details and trip and there was no luck there either :(
ReplyDeleteI hear you on the snow.
The roads around us are often the last on the gritters list IF they come at all!
Also the ice can be pretty lethel around here, and I can remember comig off my bike several times as a teenager trying to get to work in icy weather :(
That's so frustrating no one would carpool. I think people need to be educated on using their cars less and being less dependant on them. I think the big hurdle to carlessness is fear. For me anyways I worried about how we would get from A to B with 2 little ones, how we would get grocery's, to Drs appointments etc. But after a week I was fearless and like you mentioned in another post I felt empowered even. But I think people are just to afraid to take that leap which is too bad.
ReplyDeleteThat's the one drawback of country living is your always last on the list for snow removal and salting. Odum is considering getting studded tires for his bike. I'm way too much of a wimp to take the bike out in weather that would require that ;) I've got a good pair of winter boots though!
I am mantally gerding my loins for cabin fever this winter! But I plan to dwell less on where I can't go and more on where I CAN go, which is loads of places really. I think that cycling on the road (esspecailly with kids!) is dangerous enough in normal situations, but the thought of a car tapping the breaks when they see us when its icy and loosing control is beyond bareable.
ReplyDeleteI still have the once a week bus and grocery deliveries. Odum must be fearless!! lol.
I'll be really interested to hear how you get on! :)