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Do you use buses?

(145 Posts)
Ealdemodor Fri 21-Feb-20 15:17:48

Anyone out there a regular bus user?
As a non driver (could never hack it) I rely on buses, but the local service has been terrible recently, and I’d be interested to know how the rest of you get on.

Gaunt47 Fri 21-Feb-20 15:23:59

Yes, I'm a regular bus user, and the service isn't too bad considering the rural location. You have to plan your day very carefully though to make the connections - no spontaneous trips!

MissAdventure Fri 21-Feb-20 15:25:42

I'm fresh off the bus as we speak.
Our service is appalling, so its necessary to set off ridiculously early if you need to be somewhere on time.

Sussexborn Fri 21-Feb-20 15:27:06

I have always used buses and OH now sometimes suggests we use our bus passes rather than having to find a parking space. I enjoy going on the bus and never cease to be amazed at the very personal business people discuss on their mobile phones.

Our bus service has been cut to every 15 minutes from every 10 minutes so can’t really complain. We did take this into consideration when buying our house along with the fact that there is a library very close by.

BlueSky Fri 21-Feb-20 15:29:42

Only if I have to as I don't drive but DH does. But I'm not too posh to get on the bus as some people I know think they are!

tanith Fri 21-Feb-20 15:33:47

I use the bus often sometimes it’s just easier than trying to park my car. Living in west London our buses are very frequent and plentiful although sometimes packed, I do realise how lucky I am.

TrendyNannie6 Fri 21-Feb-20 15:38:39

Yes regular bus person and also train one too, can’t grumble as we have great bus service in the week and says, although our Sunday service was cut few years ago,

glammanana Fri 21-Feb-20 15:47:57

I am using the bus more and more now that I have sold our car after loosing Mr G it was to big for me to drive really and a pain to find a parking space I am looking for a smaller little car but at the minute the bus service we have is very good I can use my pass on the bus/train and ferry which makes for a very good saving we are very lucky here the services are excellent.

Marydoll Fri 21-Feb-20 15:51:55

I got the bus to the hospital this morning and then to a GP appointment, as parking is nigh on impossible, even with a Blue badge.
It cost me nothing.
We often use buses and trains. We can be in the city centre in 15 minutes, when driving takes much longer.

hulahoop Fri 21-Feb-20 15:58:14

Our bus service is rubbish now it was okay but now we have to get 2buses to get anywhere I feel sorry for people who have to pay the short journey fares they are terrible we don't have a Sunday service now ,?

Xrgran Fri 21-Feb-20 15:59:47

I made a resolution to go by bus whenever possible even though I live in a small village and last week I managed to get my sewing machine and two enormous sourdough loaves onto bus! The fares are high so it’s cheaper to go by car if it’s 2 of us ? I think half fares for over 60s would be great.

JessK Fri 21-Feb-20 16:03:23

We use the bus whenever we can rather than going in the car. Our service has got a lot worse recently so we can't actually rely on it any more which is a real shame. All down to Council cutbacks I suspect. Not sure how we are supposed to travel as environmentally friendly as we can with so many obstacles preventing us.

Floradora9 Fri 21-Feb-20 16:03:48

We get free bus service anywhere in Scotland . We really make little use of it but friends who do not have a car can visit family miles away and it is costs them a penny.

Greyduster Fri 21-Feb-20 16:03:58

We use buses; we have a bus every ten minutes that goes through the city centre and then goes on to one of our hospitals, which is handy as parking there is dire. We also have a tram which is fast, comfortable and runs every ten minutes. We are lucky with our services at this end of the city - where we lived before we were lucky to get a bus an hour.

Charleygirl5 Fri 21-Feb-20 16:06:53

I live in NW London and we have a very good service. I have been on 4 buses today and the longest wait for a bus was 2 minutes. I was also on and off tubes because I was in central London and I had no wait at all, I was on 4 tubes in total. When it works it is a fabulous service and once we get lifts at my station there will be no stopping me.

I could not return to my childhood times with 3 buses a day and the latest around 7-8 pm.

Squiffy Fri 21-Feb-20 16:19:33

I use the buses all the time, although I wouldn’t rely on them for appointments due to the unreliability of their timing. Our local bus only runs until 1.15pm due to cutbacks, which is a nuisance for me, but must be a real problem for some people sad

Oopsadaisy3 Fri 21-Feb-20 16:20:12

I have to drive 4 miles park my car and then I can get a bus.

So no, I don’t use buses, but when I did Jury service I used the Park and Ride each day, 15 miles into town then the bus.

phoenix Fri 21-Feb-20 16:23:26

Between our village and the nearest town there is one bus a week

Yes, really.

Maggiemaybe Fri 21-Feb-20 16:23:36

We use ours when we can, but even though we’re not out in the sticks we only have one (not terribly reliable) bus an hour into our nearest town and the three mile journey costs £3.50. The service stops at 7pm! Our usual option is to walk the mile up to the crossroads where there’s a bus every 15 minutes. DH has a pass, I don’t get mine till I’m 66, 11 months to go and counting!

It’s about time the powers that be made it easier for people to leave their cars at home. Our local roads are congested and our air quality very poor. Yet even with the one pass it’s cheaper for us to drive into town and park up for 4 hours.

Oopsadaisy3 Fri 21-Feb-20 16:35:22

* Phoenix* we dream of having one bus a week.

Billybob4491 Fri 21-Feb-20 16:43:01

I am spoilt for choice when it comes to buses, I live in the South.

GagaJo Fri 21-Feb-20 16:49:49

I prefer the metro. But where I am now, buses are free, so I use them if I'm too lazy to walk.

Jane10 Fri 21-Feb-20 16:51:23

I use the bus a lot. Our main problem is that there are hotels on the main route into town and crowds of tourists hold the bus up for ages asking questions to the driver or not having the right money etc. All this information is available at the bus stop but they don't bother to read it.
This makes us regular users late for work or appointments. Sometimes they fill up the whole bus and us locals are left at the stop. My poor son had to run to work one day after a group of 50 tourist students filled up his normal
bus. No wonder we're keen for a tourism tax up here. The infrastructure is creaking.
Rant over but its a very sore point on the bus.

ExD1938 Fri 21-Feb-20 16:54:50

I would love to use a bus but we don't have any here, so a car is essential. Some people use taxis because of parking difficulties.
I don't bother getting a buspass (no point( but I would love a reduced railcard.

Septimia Fri 21-Feb-20 16:55:32

We get more than one bus a day to our villages but.... unless you're willing to spend all day in our nearest very small town (and very little to keep you occupied all that time), the only day to go shopping is a Thursday when there's an early afternoon bus back. Otherwise you're stuck there until about 5.

We sometimes go on a Thursday, joining the friendly local crowd, partly to keep the bus service going.