Campaign for better Leeds buses continues

[SF07]

The Fair Fares for All and the Leeds Student Bus Campaign were on the streets of Leeds today in an attempt to recruit more people to their campaign for better bus services in Leeds. The groups were at the universities in the morning before moving to Albion Street.

Fair Fares fo All want the Quality Contracts introduced in West Yorkshire, while Leeds Student Bus Campaign want better bus services in Headingley, Hyde Park and universities.

www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Campaign-day-over-Leeds-buses.6701890.jp

[fwybuses]

Shame they don't push this on college students instead of the proposed EMA cuts protest, which half of the college student's don't get and like myself don't really give a sh*t cause we don't get it!

[westyorkshirebus]

Doesn't the Headingley corridor see some of the most frequent buses in the whole city, how many buses run up there an hour, about 1 every 2 minutes combined? what more do they want!

[kendall17]

Between 7-8am theres 17 buses between Albion Street and Otley Road (dont know where, just chose a random post code on the journey planner) Thats one every 3 and a half minutes. Some going.

[danielnew]

The frequency is not an issue in the slightest it's the fares that are seen as extortionate. I personally think the Student Metrocard offers great value for money but First's long hop fare is the problem really it should be £1.50 instead of £1.90!

[rwilkes]

Maybe the long hop is a bit steep, but it does not look so bad compared with Brigton £1.60, a smaller place. On a long hop you would be unlikely to be walking back so most would be getting a First Day. In the rush hour you are liley to be a commuter on a season ticket.
Is £1.90 extortionate? Less than a capuchino or a pint of berer and saves you walking over a mile ( mind I like walking!). Transport is really valuable, why should it be dirt cheap

[kendall17]

Jan 27, 2011 1:58:17 GMT 1 danielnew said:

The frequency is not an issue in the slightest it's the fares that are seen as extortionate

So they're campaigning for cheap bus fares, not better bus services.

£1.90 to go a mile in a bus. £2.70 (min) to go a mile in a taxi.

80p cheaper and probably just as quick.

[fwybuses]

Jan 27, 2011 0:15:47 GMT 1 kendall17 said:

Between 7-8am theres 17 buses between Albion Street and Otley Road (dont know where, just chose a random post code on the journey planner) Thats one every 3 and a half minutes. Some going.

That would be Lanswood Roundabout/Weetwood Police Station. 28 and 97 just provide additional seats between Headingley and Leeds or vice versa.

[www.buseireann.ie]

Basically this whole protest thing is yet another excuse for students to be skiving idiots. They like to let us think their so poor they can't afford bus fares, loans, loss of EMAs etc so if that's the case, why is Headingley blocked with bloody students either throwing themselves out of pubs onto the road in a drunken state or blocking the road with their cars! Ban these idiots, force them to move to some unhospitable island somewhere really COLD!

[mollman]

Its also reliability and (at one stage at least) the quality of the buses considering they used to get clapped out Olympians on the UniLink buses

[kendall17]

Jan 27, 2011 17:26:32 GMT 1 mollman said:

Its also reliability and (at one stage at least) the quality of the buses considering they used to get clapped out Olympians on the UniLink buses

Key word underlined.

8 times out of 10 you get a low floor bus on the corridoor.

[kendall17]

Jan 27, 2011 16:27:32 GMT 1 www.buseireann.ie said:

force them to move to some unhospitable island somewhere really COLD!

They're all in one at the minute!

[glennh2]

£2.70 in a taxi is the same if there are 4 of you though

[kendall17]

Jan 28, 2011 0:10:19 GMT 1 glennh2 said:

£2.70 in a taxi is the same if there are 4 of you though

That it is. But when theres one of you, suddenly the bus seems more value for money.

[Craig]

I wonder if the students will be appeased by First's expected forthcoming student service...

[jc]

They're not offering 50p fares are they? I wonder how much profit they would stand to lose if someone did that on the Headingley corridor.

[danielnew]

You've all got to remember how cheap it is to use a car - if you work on the principle as some students and the vast majority of the population of the UK that to run your car you have 'sunk costs' which are ignored and then 'user costs' which are paid every time journeys are made these are fuel, wear and tear & parking.

Based on 'user costs' the bus fares seem high because operators recieve BSOG unlike motorists and there are more people on a bus than in a car so when students see 30-80 people on the bus (as most buses on the Headingley corridor are that busy) they feel ripped-off - the costs split should mean a fare competitive with the car so 2 miles should be no more than about £1. Bus operating costs in the UK on average (excluding London) are £1.18 per km, therefore First are making a whopping profit on the Headingley corridor and have the audacity to ask METRO to subsidise the Evening service on the 1, 6, 28 & 97!

In response to Brighton being a smaller place yes I agree but Leeds being larger = more bus users therefore cheaper per passenger surely?

In response to www.buseireann.ie think before you speak, yes a lot of students are very well off can afford cars and drink the money away however some of us like me are hard-working, sensible, poor (left parents at 14 owing to their mental health and alcohol addiction problems, lived on a council estate, had virtually no money to pay the bills or rent) and worked extremely hard to become a trustee of the South West Main Line Steam Co. Ltd, Secretary of Yeovil College Students Union and gained a place at Leeds University - a highly regarded academic institution. Do not start to stereotype people, that's not what this forum is about - if you wish to do so think about it yourself and how you would feel as members of the public do, if I or anyone else stereotyped you as a bus spotter/crank for example! The protests didn't lend us any favours but the Leeds ones were the only peaceful ones in the UK - the people who do cause the most violence are not real students; they are just out to cause trouble.

[rwilkes]

The First Student ticket looks pretty good value to me

[danielnew]

The First Student ticket is good value and based on the fact that Students are unlikely to use buses beyond the Otley Road/Meanwood Road/Kirkstall Road corridors which are extremely busy First can afford to offer such tickets. If First had some sense they would charge £1.00 Short Hop, £1.50 Medium Hop, £2.00 Long Hop & £2.50 Very Long Hop as the simple fares structure then they would not have this retalliation. No need for 50p bargain bus style services, unless they're really keen lol!

[SF07]

The two groups have been collecting petitions recently and they have now handed over the signatures to First Leeds, with video footage on YouTube.

www.guardian.co.uk/leeds/2011/feb/09/leeds-buses - (underneath the budget cut section)

[jc]

Feb 10, 2011 10:38:19 GMT 1 SF07 said:

The two groups have been collecting petitions recently and they have now handed over the signatures to First Leeds, with video footage on YouTube.

www.guardian.co.uk/leeds/2011/feb/09/leeds-buses - (underneath the budget cut section)

Love the video - "yeah I would just like to err" ...what? Judging by the guy's reaction it sounded like they hadn't recorded where the students actually lived.