On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 17:33:32 +0100, Joe wrote:

I doNt know if anyone caught the Tv show on Itv1 London @ 1930 last
night, about buses in London.
They came up with a figure like £56million is being lost thanks to fare
dodgers on Bendi-buses. Well why not keep conductors on these services,
surely the cost of employing them would be well less than £56million,
and they could also do other tasks, like keeping the bus clean & tidy &
preventing vandalism/Helping people with luggage.

The figure was £56m for the *whole* bus network and was based on a
ludicrously simplistic piece of extrapolation. There are endless
examples of conductor operated buses where it is a miracle if the
conductor moves upstairs and actually checks tickets.

There are many issues about the relative merits of bendy buses, one
person buses and Routemasters and I have yet to see a television
programme that has got within 10 miles of discussing such issues in a
cogent manner.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

Paul Corfield wrote:
On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 17:33:32 +0100, Joe wrote:


I doNt know if anyone caught the Tv show on Itv1 London @ 1930 last
night, about buses in London.
They came up with a figure like £56million is being lost thanks to fare
dodgers on Bendi-buses. Well why not keep conductors on these services,
surely the cost of employing them would be well less than £56million,
and they could also do other tasks, like keeping the bus clean & tidy &
preventing vandalism/Helping people with luggage.


The figure was £56m for the *whole* bus network and was based on a
ludicrously simplistic piece of extrapolation. There are endless
examples of conductor operated buses where it is a miracle if the
conductor moves upstairs and actually checks tickets.

There are many issues about the relative merits of bendy buses, one
person buses and Routemasters and I have yet to see a television
programme that has got within 10 miles of discussing such issues in a
cogent manner.

And of course on a Routemaster, if the conductor doesn't check your
ticket and you use prepay, then you travel for free.

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

In message , Paul Corfield
writes
There are endless examples of conductor operated buses where it is a
miracle if the conductor moves upstairs and actually checks tickets.
I commented to this effect a few weeks ago.

Interestingly, though, in some pretty intensive riding on the 19
yesterday, tickets were checked diligently on every journey.

SHMBO and I moved seats at one point (top be near the front, well you
have to do it, don't you?!) and the conductress arrived shortly and
tried to charge us again. (SHMBO had a One Day Travelcard and I had
Oyster Pre Pay; If she'd insisted on scanning my Oyster again, would
the system have "thrown up that I'd "paid" already?)

--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

Ian Jelf wrote:
In message , Paul
Corfield writes
There are endless examples of conductor operated buses where it is
a miracle if the conductor moves upstairs and actually checks
tickets.
I commented to this effect a few weeks ago.

Interestingly, though, in some pretty intensive riding on the 19
yesterday, tickets were checked diligently on every journey.

SHMBO and I moved seats at one point

Do you mean SWMBO?
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

In message , Richard J.
writes
Ian Jelf wrote:
In message , Paul
Corfield writes
There are endless examples of conductor operated buses where it is
a miracle if the conductor moves upstairs and actually checks
tickets.
I commented to this effect a few weeks ago.

Interestingly, though, in some pretty intensive riding on the 19
yesterday, tickets were checked diligently on every journey.

SHMBO and I moved seats at one point

Do you mean SWMBO?

Oh dear. Yes! (It's late.)

Maybe I ought to just write "Louise" and not try to be too clever, eh?
(She'll be Mrs. Jelf in a few weeks, though, which will perhaps simplify
matters!)
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

In article ,
Ian Jelf wrote:
Do you mean SWMBO?

Oh dear. Yes! (It's late.)

I tend to refer to her as She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (I don't think she
knows yet, but I suspect she will shortly).

--
Mike Bristow - really a very good driver

In message , Mike Bristow
writes
In article ,
Ian Jelf wrote:
Do you mean SWMBO?

Oh dear. Yes! (It's late.)

I tend to refer to her as She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (I don't think she
knows yet, but I suspect she will shortly).

Yes, Louise doesn't want to be named either.

Oh bugger..... ;-)
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk