Would you leave your car at home if the bus was free?

Question

The governent want us out of our cars and into public transport

If they made it free would you still travel to work with those too supid to pass their test, too poor and smelly to own a car, or alcoholics who have lost their licence?

Oh yes and old people complaining about the weather and their bowls, single mums who cannot control their kids, teenagers going through their ringtones, bus drivers getting eggy because you dont have the exact change, being late for work because the bus didnt turn up,

Okay so the driver's not going to get eggy about the correct change on a free bus.

Answer 1

You haven't stated if you are in the UK or not, so I will answer as someone who uses and likes buses here in the UK.

London has the equivalent of free buses - Bendy Buses - where you are meant to have a ticket before you board the bus, but it does not have to be shown to the driver. I have given up travelling on Bendy Buses, as when the ticket inspectors get on, they immediately stop the bus from travelling whilst they deal with the many people who have not got tickets. These buses constantly travel full up, even at 1am on a Tuesday morning!

Within London, you would need to double the number of buses on the road, as people are able to jump on and off where they want. It would slow journeys down, as more people would be travelling shorter distances.

Outside of London, the Government would need to "take ownership" of the routes, as the private companies that run the routes, own the vehicles, and make profit from the fare paying passengers would not take kindly to being forced to take "free riders". Already, pensioners get free travel, and this has only just been introduced outside of London. There are several cases where routes run in rural areas have ceased to exist, because pensioners are "having a nice day out", filling the bus, and companies are unable to take fare paying passengers. The company will not lay on extra buses, just for more "free riders" to fill the seats. Whilst the local councils pay for each journey that the pensioners do, when even an hourly service comes along full up, people soon find another way of going!

Therefore, Yes, I would use the bus if it was free, but the infrastructure has to be in place before hand - more buses, more drivers, more routes - otherwise it will have the reverse effect and put people off using the bus.

Answer 2

There are far far too many people trying to run our lives for us and I think most of us are at a point at which the law is falling into disrepute because of silly laws which interfere with our innocent pursuits. I usually leave my car behind when I go into the city centre and get an empty bus and return on a half empty bus. I don't know what that does to emissions. In any event I do not think the emissions have anything or very little to do with global warming. I notice that those who shout loudest about it use the argument to raise taxes or stand to make a very good profit. My jouney to work wa about 45 mins by car and up to 2 hours by bus.

Answer 3

No, but for a good reason. I work from home most days, so I don't use the car to commute much.

On the one day every month or so I do go to the office, its about 70 miles, and there isn't a direct bus route. I tried using the train, but as that requires a trip into the centre of London and out again, it takes about twice as long as the car, and costs a lot more.

I use the car for longer journeys, journeys when I need to carry a lot (e.g. the weekly shop), journeys late at night, or if I'm in a hurry.

Most of the journeys where a bus would be a decent alternative to the car (such as going into town on a Saturday morning), I actually walk.

Answer 4

Well, for a start I have never met an eggy bus driver but He wouldn't get eggy because it would be free so no change to deal with. (Maybe they are a bit eggy in the morning after breakfast?)
On a serious note, I would most definately leave the car at home if I could just jump on a bus for free.

Answer 5

That is not a fair way to categorize those who ride public transportation. Many simply chose to ride the bus, or train, or subway, etc. When traveling, I often use public transportation instead of renting a car or hiring a taxi. In most larger cities, it is a good and viable way to get around. At home, however, I have my big, gas guzzling SUV, and I have enough money to buy the 91 octane gas it requires, so I do not use public transportation. For me, it is a matter of convenience. If I lived in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, etc., I would likely use the public transportation to some degree, but the buses in Tulsa don't run often enough, and don't go close enough to where ever I might need to go. Like I said, I can afford my vehicle, and it is more convenient.

Answer 6

Well, no I wouldn't but I do have a question. How does one get the exact change for a free bus ride, and why would the driver be irritated if you didn't?

To explain my "no" answer, I work at my own business, and when I go out in the field it's with my tow truck to pick one up and take it somewhere, so the bus wouldn't be a help to me. The distance between my home and my work is less that 20 feet.

Answer 7

John Rocker, is that you? Seriously dude why are you sterotyping people? Is that the people that ride the bus in your area or something? Oh wait I bet you never rode a bus so how would you know. Anyway I wouldn't ride a bus to work. Two problems. The first is that it is alot quicker to drive then ride the bus. The second is the bus doesn't go by your schedule. Say you want to stop at the store on your way home. Can you stop in and then go home? Nope have to wait for another bus. That is WHY public transportation has never caught on and never will.

Answer 8

No. Time is money, and the bus is almost always slower than the car, both in terms of the journey itself, and the getting to and from the bus stop, as well as the waiting for the bus. It is often cold when waiting, any seats are not very comfortable, and you are at risk from muggers. When on the bus there is noise from other passengers, close proximity with other passengers, smells sometimes, and a seat that is less comfortable than a car seat.

The government would have to pay me $20/hour to travel by bus.

Answer 9

I think it would depend on the journey.

If time was not an issue, and the route easy, yes.
No parking hassles, either.

Longer journeys might involve several changes of bus, making it impracticle.

Bus services in some areas are a lot better than in others.

I live within the M25, but some local services finish at about 6:30pm.

That's privatisation for you!

Answer 10

I would, if there was a bus service to get me to work from where I live.

Vodafone pay a massive subsidy to Reading/Newbury buses to provide free bus transport for their employees or contractors. They just show their company id when boarding the bus. However, it's because of the same snobbish generalisations as in your question that Voda-execs refuse to get out of their cars and take the bus.