Should bus conductors be brought back

My brother lives in Sheffield. They used to charge a peppercorn rate on the buses. The roads were pretty clear then. As soon as they increased the fares the roads filled up.

Here in Wiltshire the line driver does a good job, the buses are on time and everyone says " Thank you" when they get off. The same when I lived in Hampshire. Glad I don't have to travel in London these days.

Oh for a bus out here, with or without conductor!

True enough bus conductors were thought an unnecessary expense at one time and buses where the driver has to take money and issue tickets brought in.

There were quite definitely no prams on buses in the two cities I knew best as a child and young adult. I have no idea when Glasgow Corporation brought in the possiblility of taking a pram on a bus, as you could not do so in the seventies when I moved away.

In Copenhagen we had got to around 1980 before it was possible to take a pram, push-chair or wheelchair on a bus.

I don't know if bus conductors would solve the problem of selfish passengers hogging seats or refusing to move in the bus.

Presumably, their wages could be paid by some of the funding being used on unemployment benefit right now, as conductors would either be recruited from amongst the unemployed or change jobs, leaving their former jobs available for someone without one.

Alternatively, you could reduce the amount of people paying cash to travel. Here digital bus cards and tickets bought and paid for on your smart phone have existed for years and since the first corona lockdown, no bus driver in Denmark will accept cash - you either use the one or other of the digital solutions. Or get off the bus and walk!

I imagine a bus conductor in certain areas these days would need a hotline to the police to deal with opstreperous customers, but as trains still have conductors and they can quickly notify the police, as can a bus driver at need, that should not be a problem.

WadesNan

Can you really imagine today's entitled kids would take any notice of a bus conductor!

I suppose it'd depend on the conductor, WadesNan. Some of our bus drivers take no prisoners, but the bus shouldn't have to stop while they deal with problems. I was delighted recently when a group that had been refusing to pay and messing one train guard about were promptly put off the train by a new one coming on shift. Their little faces as they pleaded with him to be allowed to pay, then watched open-mouthed from the platform as we set off without them....

Hetty58

I suppose it's a luxury we just can't afford now - with funding for transport so low. I remember the conductors, and yes, they took charge and stood for no nonsense. As a small child, out alone, I felt very safe on a bus. No prams on board, though. Around here (London) if you had a pram, you had to walk.

Personally, I think transport should be free of charge and fully funded, well staffed, regular and reliable. It's the only way we'll ever reduce congestion and tempt people out of their cars.

I would include decent pay for the drivers on these ˋfree buses‘.
London drivers possibly the best paid in the country, never in the sticks were drivers provide essential services.

Galaxy

Sorry what survey do you mean?

I'm in Ireland. A survey was held here and a huge percentage of women did not feel safe on buses at night.

We have them on the trams here in Birmingham.

Can you really imagine today's entitled kids would take any notice of a bus conductor!

Sorry what survey do you mean?

I suppose it's a luxury we just can't afford now - with funding for transport so low. I remember the conductors, and yes, they took charge and stood for no nonsense. As a small child, out alone, I felt very safe on a bus. No prams on board, though. Around here (London) if you had a pram, you had to walk.

Personally, I think transport should be free of charge and fully funded, well staffed, regular and reliable. It's the only way we'll ever reduce congestion and tempt people out of their cars.

In some areas the bus driver, thankfully protected behind a screen, gets abuse and threats from some passengers. A bus conductor, moving around the bus, would be far more exposed.

Galaxy

That's not the reason why people dont use public transport though. I dont use public transport because I wouldnt be able to get to work on time and it would extend my day by 3 hours.

That's the reason you don't use public transport. But a survey here has shown that bad behaviour on busses is a huge deterrent for many people.

Obviously it would make fares more expensive, and they’re often more than enough anyway. They seem to work fine here without, but then our buses are no cash - Oyster or bus pass or debit card only. I do notice the difference in a dd’s area - so much waiting while people rummage around for their purses.

As for people deliberately hogging an extra seat with their bag, and failing to move it even when people are standing, personally I have no problem with politely asking them to move it - the odd eye-roll bothers me not at all.

That's not the reason why people dont use public transport though. I dont use public transport because I wouldnt be able to get to work on time and it would extend my day by 3 hours.

Our local buses run fine without conductors, but I think there’s a case for them being reinstated on school run services, which are always best avoided!

We can say it til we’re blue in the face, but there is greater chance of

I live in a city where a lot of women don't feel safe on public transport at night, and many people won't use busses during school going home times because of bad behaviour from school children.
Instead they use their cars despite huge drives to reduce car usage for environmental reasons. I think anything that would get people back on public transport would make sense.
Likewise they need more guards on trains to stop passengers, in particular women, being harassed.

Economy as Bigbertha says they really are managed perfectly without in my area anyway mostly only old folk with their bus passes use them here and don’t cause any trouble or need managing

That would double the salary and double the ticket price. Economics was why.