On Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:17:38 +0100, Josie
wrote:
On 02/04/2010 12:13, wrote:
I do have an unused (free) Oystercard& I'can't see why I'd ever
bother to use it, since all my trips start from Thurrock, or
Upminster,& a paper travelcard offers the same advantages to me as an
Oyster.
(Sarting from Upminster has cost benifents, I'm old enough to have an
ENOC bus-pass& I purchase a senior railcard every year, so a weekday
Zones 1-6 off-peak travel card costs me £5 at Upminster or £8.87 at
Grays!).
It's cheaper for me to by a day-return to Upminster than a travel card
from Grays.....
So it is, I hadn't realised that - on the other hand, it does restrict
you to travel back via Upminster and not via Rainham, doesn't it? Since
I'll not going back the same day that issue doesn't arise, so that's a
useful tip to know.
True, but if you use the 370 bus from Lakeside to get to Upminster for
the cheapest possible travelcard, you can always return to Rainham &
use the 372 back to Lakeside. Your 1-day travelcard is valid on both
route all the way to Lakeside, which suprised me, 'cos you are
definately outside the original zone boundaries there.
I appreciate that I'm penny pinching here, but I'm old & poor........
As for bus travel into Grays from Lakeside bus station, during the
working day there are many options.
Ensignbus provide 3 bph on route 22, 1 bph on route 33, 2 bph on
route 44, 2 bph on route 66,& 3 bph on both routes 73& 83.
So 12 buses per hour, some via the more "scenic" routes....
Add to that First Essex provie 3 bph on route 100& 2 bph on route
200,& Arriva offer 1 bph on their route 5, (to Southend...)
I guess that 18 bph is quite reasonable, but I'm sure that the fares
all differ& a few of the trips take a little too long 'cos they do
follow routes more suitable for local passengers.
I'm actually one of those local passengers going to somewhere on one of
the scenic routes, so that cuts my options down a bit, but I've got one
of the very good timetable booklets recommended elsewhere in this thread!
Ensign continues to surprise me too, it's obviously a commercial
operation, & I think with very little local authority support, but
it's providing services in the evenings & weekends that Arriva gave up
on.
I suppose that since they are bus dealers, they do have access to
decent quility 2/hand vehicles as well as their new d/deckers, & that
must help, but the crews are good , happy to wait for passengers at
stops & polite with it. Very un 21st century! If they could find an
economical way to do away with cash fares, they could even save a
little time too.
DC