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tube and bus prices

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
why did they go up so much this year, when the tube and london buses make a profit!?

like in central london, almost all buses are overcrowded most of the day, so there was no need to fares £1


all i can ask is WHY!?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Are they not trying to upgrade the system? I don't live there though so I dunno mate. But the prices for buses went up near me too.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was actually pretty happy with the 5-day tube-card price. Got me where I needed (except from Golders Green, but I just took the tube to Hampstead and got on the bus for free from there, which is only a couple of stops) when I was there, without wrecking my (parents) bank-account.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't think tube/bus fares are too bad. My only complaint is that you're made to pay adult fares at 16...seeing as most 16 year olds are in full time education and not working you should still get a childs fare. If 16 year olds legally can't vote, drink or gamble we shouldn't be forced to pay adult fares...Some crappy buses start charging an adult fare at 14 which goes back to when people starting work at 14.

    Can get a Young Persons Railcard of course but you gotta pay twenty something quid a year for that...Is worth it though as it's 1/3 off but I still ain't got round to getting one. For now I'll just keep getting child tickets, with barriers your unlucky if you get caught anyway.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    can't use young persons on the underground anyway. But oyster cards are apparently great
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    on 16-17 student cards, you pay child rate now in london


    but the rises in fares if you use it regulry is quite stupid, especially on london buses, as durin day most buses are overcrowded, and make a healthy profit over the whole year

    and the tube, well therewas no need for it to be privitised as it was actually making a profit, its jsut the government was lbocking that profit to be used as track/train improvements, so they culd say "oh lets privitise it"
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Fiend_85
    can't use young persons on the underground anyway. But oyster cards are apparently great

    Yeah the oyster card is really cool. I'm in Amersham which is on the met line so it's part of the underground and they accept young persons railcard...that's probably cos amersham is in a special zone though, zone c or something where all the others are like zone 1 2 3 4 5 6.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I dont use london buses or the tube......cos i dont live there :p

    So i cant really comment on prices.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Buses are really the only form of public transport which can reasonably be expected to run without subsidy and at a profit. They have MUCH lower over heads than the other forms.

    The tube prices have gone up, but not that much I dont think, obviously they have to keep them in line with inflation.

    The PPP is another matter altogether and the people involved in it should be hung.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by BeckyBoo
    I dont use london buses or the tube......cos i dont live there :p

    So i cant really comment on prices.


    Did you just feel like posting so you could be included? ;)

    I don't live there either, but my holiday-time home is at the end of the line out of Marylebone station in London
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't have the exact figures but Tube prices have gone up by an exorbitant amount in the last 10 years, many times over inflation levels.

    As ever with public services in this country, it's a tricky situation where the system has been cash-starved for decades. As a result we have the most expensive subway system in the entire world, and can't even afford air conditioning...

    And after 40 years of underfunding, a fair solution isn't easy... do we make commuters pay the extra money needed to make the system better (but rising the cost of travel to ridiculous levels and making more and more people abandon public transport and use their cars), or do we give the system all the billions it needs every year and thus make all taxpayers foot the bill, even though most of them don't use the system?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The air con thing has a lot to do with the age of the tube as well. It was the first in the world and because of that we are somewhat stuck with out dated tunnels, routes and infastructure.

    For example, the main lines would love to take longer trains, they need it, but how much would it cost to lengthen the platforms? Silly money.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't live in London, but I visit regularly in the course of work. This gives me an insight from two perpectives.

    What this thread represents is a Metropoliltan outlook. Really guys, you don't have it that bad. Try living in rural communities, then you'll discover what a bad (& expensive) public transport system looks like.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd agree with that the Tube gets me to work on time and in pretty good comfort 9 times out of ten.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I guess we complain out of habit, if we look at the travel options many others have. They should find a solution to the temperature problem though... even cattle travel in better conditions than Tube commuters in summer.

    I still find the prices exorbitant though. I live in zone 3 and to commute to Central London would cost me around £1,000 a year. Even after insurance, petrol etc my scooter has paid for itself within two years.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Aladdin
    I guess we complain out of habit, if we look at the travel options many others have. They should find a solution to the temperature problem though... even cattle travel in better conditions than Tube commuters in summer.

    Little known fact. If there is a problem on the lines then the Underground must continue to have trains running otherwise people on the plaforms would start to suffocate. The entire systems of air circulation is based on the trans moving.
    I still find the prices exorbitant though. I live in zone 3 and to commute to Central London would cost me around £1,000 a year. Even after insurance, petrol etc my scooter has paid for itself within two years.

    I live five miles from my work base. It would cost me over £50 per week to get to work on public transport. Minimum.

    I'm not saying that the tube is the best service in the world, but it's not the worst either. I certainly agree that the main source of funding should be tourism and commuters.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Travel in West Yorkshire is much cheaper than in London.

    A DayRover costs £4.50, and has a larger network than that of an All Zones Travelcard.

    But, yeah. People won't use public transport until it is cheap, and it will never be cheap because every time there's a boom the RMT go on strike for an extra slice of pie.

    Moral: the RMT should be in jail.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Aladdin
    I don't have the exact figures but Tube prices have gone up by an exorbitant amount in the last 10 years, many times over inflation levels.

    As ever with public services in this country, it's a tricky situation where the system has been cash-starved for decades. As a result we have the most expensive subway system in the entire world, and can't even afford air conditioning...

    And after 40 years of underfunding, a fair solution isn't easy... do we make commuters pay the extra money needed to make the system better (but rising the cost of travel to ridiculous levels and making more and more people abandon public transport and use their cars), or do we give the system all the billions it needs every year and thus make all taxpayers foot the bill, even though most of them don't use the system?

    the thing is the tube operates at a decent profit, even when its been in public hands, so they have money to put into it

    and buses in london, even night buses tend to be quite busy, yet they cost a £1 all over london now insteadof 70p last yr, WHY?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If the money is needed the money is needed.

    If London wants a decent transport system London has to pay for it. I resent paying vast wads of tax to London for something I rarely, if ever, use.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    did you hear me, the tube and buses makes an operating profit, so they have money coming in, so the bonds system to raise money could of worked, as its not like investing in the creaking national railways
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by wheresmyplacebo
    the thing is the tube operates at a decent profit, even when its been in public hands, so they have money to put into it

    and buses in london, even night buses tend to be quite busy, yet they cost a £1 all over london now insteadof 70p last yr, WHY?

    If you use oyster buses are still 70p instead of £1. Get oyster pre-pay.

    Maybe they put bus fare profits help go towards improving the tube? It is all part of TFL isn't it so I guess it could be? The tube is good and it gets you around most of the time but other cities tubes are way better. The NYC subway is a lot better than the tube...I haven't been on the Paris one but everyone says that is better too. The government should just put money into the tube (and give us that crossrail thing too) but they don't seem to like spending money on London's transport..
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    grr even tube makes a operating profit so it generates it own revnue, like the buses


    and btw i love the tube i just find the fare increases, to be completly extortionate, as i have to use it, and im happy to use it but the fares!!!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Disillusioned, why should the GOvernment pay for TUbe improvements?

    There are 56 million people in England, and London only has a population of 7 million. Why should I, who goes to London every two years, pay for things that I will never ever use?

    If Londonders want a good system, they have to pay for it. Because I sure as hell don't think I should.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    yeh the money for improvements was apparantly raised by ppp, but there wrere other options, especially issuing bonds etc, it wasnt as if the tube was losing loads of money, it wasnt, so people would be willing to buy bonds, as the tube as a company was operating well, they just needed the money to update the trains etc
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The New York subway is crap compared to the London tube. It only has a few lines, trains often miss out stations, many of the stations are dark and gloomy, and there are lots of crazy people who make you feel intimidated. But- it's not boiling hot like London.

    I think you should quit moaning, £1 for a bus fare is a lot cheaper than many places across the country. I've also never experienced people smoking on the bus or tube in London, which is an every day occurance in Brum.

    Yeah, the tube is expensive, but you don't have to use it. It's a good, quick service.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Kermit
    Disillusioned, why should the GOvernment pay for TUbe improvements?

    There are 56 million people in England, and London only has a population of 7 million. Why should I, who goes to London every two years, pay for things that I will never ever use?

    If Londonders want a good system, they have to pay for it. Because I sure as hell don't think I should.

    Yes, of course, and London does not in any way fund the rest of the country though its taxation does it Kermit.

    I resent having to pay for the rest of the country, I would be more than happy for the South East and London to go it along and let the rest of you fend for yourselves.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by PussyKatty
    I think you should quit moaning, £1 for a bus fare is a lot cheaper than many places across the country. I've also never experienced people smoking on the bus or tube in London, which is an every day occurance in Brum.

    Yeah, the tube is expensive, but you don't have to use it. It's a good, quick service.

    you are missing the point though, all im saying is, why do the tube and bus fares have to rise at a far greater rate than inflation, cause they make money, it isnt as if its operating at a loss
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by bongbudda
    Yes, of course, and London does not in any way fund the rest of the country though its taxation does it Kermit.

    Erm.. the national taxes do not pay for my local transport services. If they did then I would only have to pay £1 to travel. Which is the point he was making.

    Just for info, my wife took my son on the bus yesterday. A faive mile round trip which cost her £2 just for him. That's the under 16 rate.

    I think Kermit's slightly wrong on one count though. The Tube is used by tourists who bring money into the UK, therefore I do believe that the national govt should fund a proportion. However I agree that Londoners and communters should pay the vast majority.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I wasnt strictly talking about transport as such, I was just refering to the balance of payments which is far from being in London's favour at the moment.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Fiend_85
    Did you just feel like posting so you could be included? ;)

    yes, I dont like feeling left out :lol:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by bongbudda
    I wasnt strictly talking about transport as such, I was just refering to the balance of payments which is far from being in London's favour at the moment.

    But that's hardly surprising give the population difference, the industrial advantage and the wage structures.

    You cannot compare the two economies because they are so different. As Kermit pointed out there are 7 million people living in London (approx 15% of UK population) plus commuters coming in to work, plus a huge amount of tourism...

    When you look at some public services then economies of scale are better, as is access...

    Plus you have a political bias in London, which is what I referred to as the metropolitan viewpoint earlier. I won't go into detail on that because it's another thread really, but if someone who only lives 70 miles away from London can feel it, how do you think Northerners/Westeners feel
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