Buses Bill

[Barney]

RE: Buses Bill

(09/12/2016 18:09)rod_259 Wrote:  No,I didn't. Stagecoach, for example, is one of the most respected brands in the UK, according to surveys. Furthermore, the comment about 'art students' is fatuous as many enthusiasts like to see the variety of liveries.
Unlike London, there are no congestion charges proposed to sunsidise bus travel, as far as I know, so I think, once again, politicians running anything will result in a mess. Booze ups And breweries come to mind.
Finally despite all the left wing tripe, the quality of the fleets I has improved beyond belief so the companies have reasons to be proud of their brands.

Far be it for me defend Dentonian's stance but I do think that one's attitude towards the current bus provision outside of London depends on how old you are and if you can remember pre-deregulaton days. Yes, it is true that on Merseyside, Stagecoach and Arriva have invested heavily over the past few years but, in comparison, fleet renewal is still below what it was in PTE and NBC days. What has changed over the past forty years is that buses used to be Public SERVICE Vehicles and now they are Passenger CARRYING Vehicles and the onus is on profit not need.

Also, I may be totally wrong but I suspect that both Stagecoach and Arriva have upped their game in the past few years since franchising in the provinces was first discussed in Whitehall.