Taxi Driver Online

Ministers are told bus fares in Plymouth will rise if grants are slashed
SLASHING bus grants by a fifth will lead to fare rises and reduced services for passengers in Plymouth, ministers have been told.

Government claims the subsidy cut could be 'absorbed' without impacting on ticket prices has been branded "absolute nonsense" by opponents at Westminster.

As part of the Whitehall spending squeeze, the bus service operators' grant, which pays for about 80 per cent of operators' fuel duty, is to be reduced by 20 per cent. There had been fears it could be scrapped altogether.

Transport minister Norman Baker said: "From 2012-13, the rate at which bus service operators grant is paid will be reduced by 20 per cent.

"Our assessment is that this level of reduction will, overall, have a low impact on socially excluded groups."

He added: "I spoke to the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK, which represents the bus industry, following the Chancellor's announcement on October 20.

"It was hopeful that, in general, this reduction could be absorbed without fares having to rise."

But Labour's Stephen Hepburn said: "That is absolute nonsense. The pensioners and the poor people of this country did not create the banking crisis, so why are the Government making them pay with cuts such as this, which will inevitably mean rises in fares and reductions in services?"

Mr Baker pointed to hopes the cut could be absorbed without fares having to rise.

He argued that the Government had protected free bus passes.

The Lib Dem transport minister said: "First, the stories in the press throughout recent months have been suggesting that the bus service operators grant will be abolished, but they have clearly been completely off tack.

"Indeed, the cut to the grant has been less than the average for the department, in recognition of the importance of bus services to local people.

"I come back to the point made by the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK, which, after all, represents the bus industry and so, with due respect, perhaps knows more about buses than he might do.

"It has said that, in general, the reduction can be absorbed without fares having to rise; that is the view of the industry."

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Mi ... ticle.html

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Though the article is "Plymouth" based, this must surely be a National position.

I have quite a few passengers who "Bus" into town, then when the shopping is done, "Taxi" home.

I also have customers who travel in and home together because a door to door Taxi is cheaper than the bus with four or five passengers.

Potentially I could lose some customers who may "take the car", but I may gain from more "sharing both ways".

I would be interested on your take on this.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Subsidised Buses out here in the Sticks are destroying the daytime work, as there is very little Day time work in the countryside in the first place the affect that Subsidising Large buses to run Empty or near empty is a folly that we can ill afford, its very little to do with transporting people and more to do with the LA wanting to appear Green and environmentally friendly and earn a few Goverment/EU brownie points....

Just a pity they couldnt see that 3 People sharing a Taxi is a Damn sight greener than 3 people riding about in a huge Near empty diesel Guzzling CO2 Belching BUS.

Then come the slightly Busier times at Weekends and Evenings and these buses are no where to be seen...then they Expect the poor old hard pushed Taxi/PH operators to come to their transportational aid...damned annoying when they dont support the trade during the day.

Id Be happy to see all bus Subsidies withdrawn and a more Passenger Specific scheme which offers Travel Vouchers to the truly Needy to be used on Either Buses, Taxis, or PH (why sponsor the well off ?)....then we might all survive at the areas Natural level of Demand ...and not running about empty Buses for the sake of it.

Well I don't think you will find many disagreeing with you on TDO Mr Bloodnock.

The hard bit is getting the message out to the travelling public.

I nearly said to the Politicians - but I think their minds are closed to it I'm afraid.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Politicians see only two things clearly...Their Payslip and their expenses claim form.

Anything else..........forget it

If the subsidy's are cut by the alleged 20%, how long will it be before the free bus pass is looked at, as council budgets are to be reduced also, and its them who fund it, not central government.
Blood Chris your right its cheaper in a taxi,
First bus run a circular service from Galashiels town centre to the largest housing estate just over a mile away, every 20 mins the fare is £1.10 per person or free with bus pass, but this service stops dead at 6.30 PM
So from the bus station to a stop near my house costs 4 punters £4.40 in a bus, in a taxi without any discount its £4.00 to the same stop.
I can not only see reduced services but older buses running even longer as the bus company's will not be so quick to replace ageing stock.
Just as I dont know does the price of a bus ticket contain VAT????, if it does there will be an automatic fare increase in January due to the increased VAT on fuel

we are in the sticks

a 7 mile ride to town costs £2.50 each way on the subsidised bus, most onboard are either OAPs or students for obvious reasons, a hack metered trip is £12. i do it for £8

Vehicles that carry 8 or more passengers are zero rated for VAT. Which means that the passengers do not pay VAT but the bus company can claim back all the VAT associated with the running of the vehicle.

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Grandad,

Its 9 Passengers or more...or 10 Including the driver.

Sorry, yes I meant 9 or more, I pressed the wrong key. What idiot put the 8 key right next to the 9 key.

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Grandad,

The fewer buses, or the more expensive they are, the better.

Folks need to get from A to B, fewer buses mean more cab rides.

Especially late at night and early in the morning.

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IDFIMH

There's going to be a big cull in the above, the County Councils can't keep paying for buses to run empty.

Times might be looking good.

County councils still think they have a Bottomless money pit in "us" the Community Charge payers...they spend like there is no tomorrow, especially on Crap ideas and seldom on sound ideas...

There is nothing to stop taxi/ph drivers offering a shared service for punters and advertising it. If companies/groups of drivers did a leaflet drop I'm sure work would be created once people are aware that there is an alternative service available to them.

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Lots of rules about that Toots, but you are right, it can be done.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related