AND ANOTHER THING #1 : BUSES! (By Faither)
I have a confession to make: I recently appeared in public in a state of disarray, causing a great deal of consternation to those around me. The sideways looks, the moving discreetly aside, the momentary silences all told me I was in the wrong. And my crime? I got on a Dundee bus wearing a pinstripe suit and collar and tie.
The reaction from my fellow passengers triggered off another of my infamous internal rants. Why is it that in this country we have the Government and Local Authorities constantly protesting their commitment to public transport? Yet it is managed in such a way that only folk that use it are the elderly or less well-off among us? Why is it that getting on a bus (or, even more shameful, being seen waiting for one) is perceived by many as a sign of personal fiscal failure (i.e. not having a car!).
It goes without saying that this is generally not the case in other European countries. I've done business in Budapest, Zurich, Prague to name but three and in those places it is as commonplace to see formally dressed businesspeople on a bus or tram as it is unusual to see a drunk! So why is this? How have we managed to get to a situation whereby the most sensible approach to mass transport is seen in the UK as always the second-class option?
Well of course it's mostly the fault of national government - both past and present. Despite great claims by the current Labour lot they have not managed to produce anything resembling a co-ordinated public transport. Even something as simple as co-ordinating timetables so that buses and trains connect seem beyond them, And as for actually keeping travellers informed!
Some time ago I was at a bus stop in Kirkcaldy and, not being familiar with the local bus routes, phoned the Helpline whose number was thoughtfully provided on the shelter - and don't start me on help lines - that's another rant. The person I spoke to started by asking me if Kirkcaldy was in Fife. This did not inspire confidence and inevitably I was none the wiser after the call.
Now contrast my experience as a bus passenger in Dundee, Kirkcaldy or any other part of Scotland with that of the Czech Republic or Hungary - two countries not noted for their great wealth. In Dundee (or wherever) the intending passenger waits at a bus stop which gives no indication of timetables or routes. There may be an electronic message board which hazards a guess at the waiting time until the next service but that's your lot. Once you board the bus of course you need the correct money and tough if you don't have it. I once asked a driver what would happen if I'd only had a ten pound note. This fine ambassador for Scottish tourism simply grunted that "ye widnae be let oan".
The actual boarding process can take ages as everything is processed by the solo driver - no conductors nowadays. (Historical Note: buses used to have people called conductors whose role it was to deal with tickets and generally help passengers.) And once the journey is underway there's absolutely no information about where the bus is or what stop to get off at for specific destinations - not a problem if you're local, not much use and very frustrating if you're not.
My experiences abroad paint a very different picture. There, the bus stop will carry full details and an accurate timetable of all the routes served by that stop. And the information will be easily understandable even if you don't speak the local language. Almost all travellers will have bought their tickets in advance at their local shop - and very cheaply too! (In Prague last year a monthly ticket giving access to all buses, trams, metro and local trains cost just under 19 pounds for a month!).
The passenger will then self-stamp their ticket so you don't have the mass of people waiting to board. Once the journey has started there are clear announcements approaching and leaving each stop. There are also electronic notice boards which do likewise and which constantly show the route and the bus's place on it.
So how have we in Scotland ended up with such a second rate public transport system and what can we do to improve it?
The answer to the first part is easy: politicians have contempt for people, especially those who tend not to vote for them. It follows then that they do not concern themselves with any part of life's problems that they don't personally experience. When was the last time you saw a councillor or MSP on a bus? And of course if they're on a train it's always first class which I suppose means that at least they're delayed in comfort!
The answer? Simple. Make all elected politicians - and of course any of their officials paid more than the average wage - travel at least one week in four by public transport. If they can't demonstrate that they've done that then their allowances and pay stop until they do.
Once they have experienced the travails of public transport you can bet your bottom dollar improvements will be made. And once that has happened and we have a system that actually treats passengers as customers. Expectations will grow and higher standards expected and so we get into the virtuous circle of higher expectations leading to higher standards of service.
Oh, and if you want to do something to help then contact your councillor or MSP and ask her/him if they use public transport and, if they don't, ask why not. And if they can't give a proper explanation (they'll probably say something like their job is too important for them to waste time waiting for buses) then make it clear you'll use their response against them at the next election. Politicians care only about one thing: being elected!
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