Rail Fares

Author
Discussion

Storer

Original Poster:

5,024 posts

221 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2013
quotequote all
Why the h*ll should motorists pay for reduced rail fares.

Many of us don't need to travel by rail to work as we work locally to our homes (in my case 50 yards).

Many of these commuters have chosen to move away from their places of work for "a better lifestyle" so why should those of us that live near our work subsidise their "better lifestyle".

If they want the bloated salary that work in the smokes pays then let them spend it on travelling to work. It doesn't matter if the journey is 5 miles or 100 miles. It is their choice to live that far from their employment.

As you can tell, this make my blood boil.

btsidi

246 posts

237 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2013
quotequote all
Storer said:
Why the h*ll should motorists pay for reduced rail fares.
Railway users pay them too. Another £150 rise this year.


Storer

Original Poster:

5,024 posts

221 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2013
quotequote all
Road users pay way more than the roads cost to run and maintain, so why should we also pay for susbsidised rail fares.

Live closer to your work.

Caulkhead

4,938 posts

163 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2013
quotequote all
My parent's neighbour works in the city but lives on the Isle of Wight because the house prices save him a fortune. He then moans constantly about the length of his commute, the cost of the ferry and his rail season ticket price. smile

anonymous-user

60 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
Storer said:
Road users pay way more than the roads cost to run and maintain, so why should we also pay for susbsidised rail fares.

Live closer to your work.
I cant possibly live closer to work and have to use a train to get there! I also drive a car so Im fooked either way

Adrian W

14,376 posts

234 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
I want the rail users to subsidise my car please, every time Fuel, insurance, road tax goes up, or i need a new car i'll start moaning on the radio and TV,

IainT

10,040 posts

244 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
I have to say my own self-interest comes into play. When I lived in the SE I was more than happy for the subsidies to be in place. Now I live in an area where public transport is useless (i.e. not the SE) and have to drive to work I resent any subsidy that comes from general taxation.

Rail users should pay the cost of their own fares and I won't expect them to subsidize my car.

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

210 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
I'd be perfectly happy if they spent 50% of my motoring taxes on maintaining the roads

and the other 50% went towards public transport

Twincam16

27,646 posts

264 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
Storer said:
Live closer to your work.
Think about how many people work in city centres.

Now think about how expensive and family-unfriendly property is in city centres.

If you want to reduce commuting costs, then either businesses need to relocate to places their employees can afford to live, or businesses need to pay their employees more.

Stop being so unrealistic.

Mr Snap

2,364 posts

163 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
Twincam16 said:
Storer said:
Live closer to your work.
Think about how many people work in city centres.

Now think about how expensive and family-unfriendly property is in city centres.

If you want to reduce commuting costs, then either businesses need to relocate to places their employees can afford to live, or businesses need to pay their employees more.

Stop being so unrealistic.
Why should businesses bother to pay low paid workers a reasonable amount when they can rely on tax credits to bolster paltry wages. Walmart etc are laughing all the way to their (overseas) banks...

rxtx

6,016 posts

216 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
Storer said:
Many of these commuters have chosen to move away from their places of work for "a better lifestyle"
This is rubbish.

taylor172

833 posts

210 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
i pay £475 road tax on one car that i only drive evenings and weekends, £140 on the other that i drove less than 20 miles last year, i get the train to work everyday its £3.80 a day for 2 stops. if the roads were tip top and all RFL went on the roads that would be great. but seeing as they arnt and it doesnt.. yeah im quite happy for it to be spent on public transport

Dixie68

3,091 posts

193 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
Storer said:
Why the h*ll should motorists pay for reduced rail fares.

Many of us don't need to travel by rail to work as we work locally to our homes (in my case 50 yards).

Many of these commuters have chosen to move away from their places of work for "a better lifestyle" so why should those of us that live near our work subsidise their "better lifestyle".

If they want the bloated salary that work in the smokes pays then let them spend it on travelling to work. It doesn't matter if the journey is 5 miles or 100 miles. It is their choice to live that far from their employment.

As you can tell, this make my blood boil.
Why should I pay taxes and NI for other people to use the NHS, I've never used it? Why should I pay taxes for people to sit on their arses at home watching Jeremy Kyle when I have to work for a living? Why should people who don't have a car pay for road maintenance, (you don't honestly think it just comes from motorists do you)?
It's the way it is so suck it up and stop moaning.
Edit: ^^^ that sounds more harsh than I meant, here's the missing smiley tongue out

Edited by Dixie68 on Thursday 3rd January 19:34

Hackney

6,989 posts

214 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
Storer said:
Why the h*ll should motorists pay for reduced rail fares.

Many of us don't need to travel by rail to work as we work locally to our homes (in my case 50 yards).

Many of these commuters have chosen to move away from their places of work for "a better lifestyle" so why should those of us that live near our work subsidise their "better lifestyle".

If they want the bloated salary that work in the smokes pays then let them spend it on travelling to work. It doesn't matter if the journey is 5 miles or 100 miles. It is their choice to live that far from their employment.

As you can tell, this make my blood boil.
While I have no time for people who moved out of London and then moan about the commute I really don't think you have a lot to complain about. What are your motoring costs? How much do you subsidise commuters? Your car is a hobby, surely.

btsidi

246 posts

237 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
Storer said:
Live closer to your work.
Driving to work would cost £10 a day for the Kengestion charge, plus £25-30 a day to park.
That makes up for the 20p a mile saving on petrol living closer evil

Flip Martian

20,254 posts

196 months

Thursday 3rd January 2013
quotequote all
I moved out of London nearly 15 years ago. Far bigger house for far less money, cleaner air, less noise, green fields, trees, grass, etc - all attractive. Didn't actually think I would still be commuting to the job in London but I am - doesn't bother me too much if the train fares rise (which they have); I saved loads by moving out of London, so I can afford to pay the fares; still better off than if I was struggling with a mortgage in London.

I do object to the trains having smaller seats (and more of them) crammed in the carriages but one can't have everything... At least I live far enough away from London that I always get a seat ok. It would really tick me off if I lived closer, still paid thousands a year and never got to sit down...

Funkateer

990 posts

181 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
thinfourth2 said:
I'd be perfectly happy if they spent 50% of my motoring taxes on maintaining the roads

and the other 50% went towards public transport
Exactly. I'd far rather see the tax extorted from fuel, road tax, etc spent on providing an integrated transport system, as opposed to financing wars and putting on jollies like the Olympics. Fits better with the 'greener than thou' message touted by all main parties.

Remove journeys from the roads and it will improve things immensely for those of us that need to use them. This along with the required improvements to bad road junctions and other bottlenecks.

Why are we so rubbish at providing a basic public service like transport, when many of our European neighbours seem to manage it with considerable aplomb?

Podie

46,644 posts

281 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
Funkateer said:
Why are we so rubbish at providing a basic public service like transport, when many of our European neighbours seem to manage it with considerable aplomb?
Do they really do it better?

I've used public transport in France, Spain and Italy for prolonged periods of time (i.e. not a two week holiday) and quite frankly it's been no better in my experience.

The trains in Italy were like sitting on a plastic school chair with no suspension... and no air con. However, they were cheap. Didn't run to time very often either.

The buses in Spain were a nightmare - half of them never turned up...

Using the Metro and the RER in Paris, was pretty poor too. Reasonable prices, but packed at rush hour and frankly no better than the tube. The RER would often be late by 30 mins or more.

Rick101

7,002 posts

156 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
Amen to that brother. It's a fallacy.

Twincam16

27,646 posts

264 months

Friday 4th January 2013
quotequote all
Podie said:
Funkateer said:
Why are we so rubbish at providing a basic public service like transport, when many of our European neighbours seem to manage it with considerable aplomb?
Do they really do it better?

I've used public transport in France, Spain and Italy for prolonged periods of time (i.e. not a two week holiday) and quite frankly it's been no better in my experience.

The trains in Italy were like sitting on a plastic school chair with no suspension... and no air con. However, they were cheap. Didn't run to time very often either.

The buses in Spain were a nightmare - half of them never turned up...

Using the Metro and the RER in Paris, was pretty poor too. Reasonable prices, but packed at rush hour and frankly no better than the tube. The RER would often be late by 30 mins or more.
Perhaps they're not good examples, but I've found the trains in Germany absolutely faultless. Every time I use them I find myself thinking 'why can't ours be like these?'