Phil’s Diary - [Blog @ http://www.philsdiary.net/]
The government have been heavily pushing public transport for a while now. When I say pushing I mean disuading people from using cars (congestion charging, high fuel tax, speed cameras, not repairing roads, bus lanes etc.), rather than acutally doing too much to improve public transport itself.
They’ve also helpfully put together a website that integrates public transport timetables, to allow you to plan a journey.
So I tried putting work to home, and back again, and this is what it came up with:
The most direct public transport from home to work, doesn’t get me to work in time. It’ll get me there half an hour late. I set off at 6:49am, and get to work 2 hours and 10 minutes later at 8:59am. It involves… walking for 14 minutes, a 34minutes bus ride, then another short walk, then another bus for 4 minutes, then another short walk, then a 17minute train journey. Then another short walk, and another 8 minute bus ride, before a final 18minute walk to the office. Phew
Returning is pretty similar. I can leave at 17:58, and get home 2 hours and 10 minutes later at 19:58. This time though there are 3 walks and 4 bus journeys involved. No train.
All this compares to the between 41 and 31 minutes by car. When I can set off and leave when I like, have short walk to the garage/to the carpark and no changes.
As you can probably see, for me public transport isn’t really a very good alternative.
I’m not stupid enough to think that public transport will ever cope with my needs, after all, I live in a small town, and travel to work to the middle of nowhere. Literally. If I were commuting to/from a city centre, then things should be different.
However with that understanding, I wish the government would realise that not everyone has public transport as a viable alternative, so taxing me to the eyeballs for using the only really viable transport for me, is a bit on the nasty side.
Posted by Phil on April 12, 2005 09:22 PM | Categories: Travel
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Busses in Hasselt are free (only local routes). Of course that is free as in payed by taxes so actually I am paying for busses while I never take a bus.
Sux? Not really.
Since that free-bus system started our street hasn't been plagued by rougue parking and my driveway hasn't been blocked by some illegally parked car.
Posted by: sjon at April 14, 2005 7:22 AM