Wednesday, 25 August 2010

Everyone should use public transport?

I heard from a friend that the government are toying with taxing business parking to encourage use of public transport. Sadly, it is another example of people in London thinking that everyone else in the country has the same public transport facilities that they do. They are wrong.
For example, my situation is fairly average. I travel 10 miles to work by motorbike, I leave home 30 minutes before work starts and arrive home about 30 minutes after I finish. It costs me around £30/month in petrol. Total time away from home = 9 hours/day
If I were to take the train, I would have to cycle 15 minutes to the station 5 minutes before the train leaves (at 7:57 for a 9:00am start) and then arrive about 15 minutes cycle ride from work at 8:05am. Of course, I could arrange flexi-time (which I wouldn't be given, already been there) but even if I could, there is a return train at 3:20 and then not another one till 17:05 which gets back home at 17:13 for a cycle ride home for around 17:30 assuming there are on time. Total time away from home = 10 hours per day, total cost = £96/month!!
By bus, I would have to walk to town (15mins) for an 8:03 bus and be able to return at 17:53 to town plus another 15 minute walk home. Total time away from home = 10hrs25m cost = £30/month.
Basically, it's not going to happen. There are also people who live much further from public transport than me, who can't cycle for some reason and who travel much greater distances. We are already hit by massive fuel tax so just leave it. Until public transport is improved majorly, it will only ever serve about 10% of the population.

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