Today, I went to Didsbury, to take a second hand half-size cello to the Ayres violin shop (they’re very nice) to be repaired and buy a new violin case (it’s very nice, but with one or two small flaws).
Didsbury is a long way; I have never been before, I have to catch a bus into Manchester, and then another bus with a different company (I suspect the other bus company is nicer and has cheaper tickets, but I do not know; it might be that I happened to be on a popular frequent service).
Here’s the thing:
To catch a bus from Lees to Oldham, if I want to go there and come back, it is cheaper (or was at last count) to buy a daysaver (even before 9::30 am) than two singles, It costs £4.10 (£4.20 when the bus fares go up) for a daysaver. The journey is about 10 or 15 minutes.
To catch a bus from Lees to Manchester, and back again, I can stay on the same bus route with the same daysaver. £4.10 (£4.20 when bus fares go up) and the single journey can take more or less than an hour depending on traffic.
To go to Didsbury, I have to use two bus services, and it takes about an hour and a half. It cost £4.90 for a daysaver to use the different bus services.
Now tell me, is that a fair pricing structure? Shouldn’t it be cheaper to go from Lees to Oldham than from Lees to Manchester? I think that people who only travel short trips on the bus are being grossly overcharged. It frequently works out cheaper to go to Oldham in the car, especially if there is more than one person travelling, even with parking. It must be that local bus fares are over-priced. Is that going to keep congestion down? Traffic off the road? Pollution and greenhouse gases down? Etc?