Sheffields free electric bus service
Discussion
Sheffield has recently introduced a fleet of 4 x electric zero emission busses that drive along two routes around the city centre every 10 mins - 7 days a week, and are free to use - just jump one/off.
I've been using them recently as I work in the city centre, I find them very useful in my lunch break for getting from one end of the centre to the other, and back to work again within the hour. Sadly they always seem empty as if nobody knows about the service, or don't need it?
Apparently they cost £500K each, however one was stolen in the first few weeks of going live and was smashed up in an RTC, so now there are only three busses.
I've been using them recently as I work in the city centre, I find them very useful in my lunch break for getting from one end of the centre to the other, and back to work again within the hour. Sadly they always seem empty as if nobody knows about the service, or don't need it?
Apparently they cost £500K each, however one was stolen in the first few weeks of going live and was smashed up in an RTC, so now there are only three busses.
Slowboathome said:
I used to live in Sheffield. Having looked at the route map isn't it almost as quick to walk than wait for the bus?
Appreciate that not everyone is able to walk.
I would agree, for quicker to walk, and better for you.Appreciate that not everyone is able to walk.
Another total waste of tax payers money, the only thing Sheffield city council are experts at.
I've often wondered what the country would be like if all public transport was free at the point of use and paid for out of taxes. Buses would be a lot more efficient if passengers didn't have to delay the thing whilst paying or showing their oyster card.
In Scotland, under 22s and anyone over 60 with a Saltire card can travel free. From talking to some pensioners up there the buses are virtual mobile community centres. One chap was telling me how in the summer he travels all day on the bus, gets a few cans to see him through the night on a bench by the sea and then gets the early bus home. He was also going from South of Glasgow right up into the Highlands on his outings.
In Scotland, under 22s and anyone over 60 with a Saltire card can travel free. From talking to some pensioners up there the buses are virtual mobile community centres. One chap was telling me how in the summer he travels all day on the bus, gets a few cans to see him through the night on a bench by the sea and then gets the early bus home. He was also going from South of Glasgow right up into the Highlands on his outings.
GliderRider said:
I've often wondered what the country would be like if all public transport was free at the point of use and paid for out of taxes. Buses would be a lot more efficient if passengers didn't have to delay the thing whilst paying or showing their oyster card.
In Scotland, under 22s and anyone over 60 with a Saltire card can travel free. From talking to some pensioners up there the buses are virtual mobile community centres. One chap was telling me how in the summer he travels all day on the bus, gets a few cans to see him through the night on a bench by the sea and then gets the early bus home. He was also going from South of Glasgow right up into the Highlands on his outings.
Hundreds of bus routes in Scotland have been cut and ridership is down by 30% yet the taxpayer pays 60% of the cost of running the buses In Scotland, under 22s and anyone over 60 with a Saltire card can travel free. From talking to some pensioners up there the buses are virtual mobile community centres. One chap was telling me how in the summer he travels all day on the bus, gets a few cans to see him through the night on a bench by the sea and then gets the early bus home. He was also going from South of Glasgow right up into the Highlands on his outings.
Some geriatric wino riding for free with his tinnies isn’t going to sustain a viable bus service .. certainly not the £400m of taxpayers money going to provide for his little outings
I see it where I am, come 0930 the buses fill up with pensioners riding for free, the buses might be full but they are losing a fortune and hardly viable financially
steveo3002 said:
Simpo Two said:
Free buses that cost £0.5M each... and the Council wonders why it hasn't got any money left...
just ticking boxes at the tax payers expenseGliderRider said:
I've often wondered what the country would be like if all public transport was free at the point of use and paid for out of taxes. Buses would be a lot more efficient if passengers didn't have to delay the thing whilst paying or showing their oyster card.
When I played Cities Skylines I made all public transport free and successfully funded it by charging cars to drive into the city of Daveslavia. I uninstalled the game in disgust when I realised what I'd become.Belfast has switched most of the local bus fleet to electric buses. You really notice the transition from regen braking to the physical brakes when you're on board but overall they do a decent job and you can now breathe while they're driving past you.
Riley Blue said:
Apparently someone has suggested extending the Sheffield tram network to Chesterfield. I'm not sure why as trains run between the two every 10 minutes or so - or are supposed to.
It's a different transport system; is there a relatively continuous suburban infill between the two? From the map there are suburbs/commuter towns which are poorly or not served at all by rail. If there is there should already be buses running the intended route, if the peak usage is high enough it may justify a tram route. The train mostly takes people from one city centre to another, the tram will mostly be taking people to and from everywhere between.I dont know the geography of Sheffield city centre but I applaud the council for making an effort to get people moving on free to use non polluting mass transit
Outside of London it seems the norm is to pay quite a lot of ££££ to use the bus which is usually/always privatised in the name of "efficiency" whilst simultaneously being a 20y old dinosaur belching black soot out of the back
COI: one of the few PH bleeding heart liberals
Cheers
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