In message

t, at 12:06:30 on Tue, 1 Oct 2019, Jeremy Double
remarked:
So, we have a bus that's 84% more expensive, with less capacity, longer and
heavier than a normal double-decker, less comfortable, worse fuel
consumption and whose entire reason for existence, the open rear platform,
is not used. No wonder the hoped-for sale of the design to other cities
never happened.

It's truly a fitting metaphor for the Boris Johnson mayoralty.

And let's hope his Brexit deal isn't as bad as his bus.

He was wittering on about buses on BBC Breakfast again this morning.

Mentioned smartcards as one of the ways to drive up usage.

There are various smartcard tickets in West Yorkshire, including one onto
which you can load daily, weekly or monthly passes (bus only or bus and
rail for various combinations of rail zones), and another which is a
stored-value card for bus travel.

Unfortunately, the only smart day pass offering is bus-only, which is a bit
annoying.

There are plenty of smartcard schemes for buses, some of which have been
in place for more than a decade.

It's unfortunate that the one for Nottingham used to include the trams,
but after they were re-franchised doesn't any longer.

Most of its attraction was being a cut-price carnet of the already
existing "all day" paper ticket. That works well as an alternative to
tracking and capping every bus trip because it breaks even at two
singles, rather than the four singles under TfL.

A day pass for bus and rail, valid in the peak, would be very
useful for me.

Perhaps Boris would consider funding rail as well as bus for Twiry card
holders outside London?
--
Roland Perry