East Lancashire bus travellers face a fifth increase in fares (From Lancashire Telegraph)

It makes me so angry that bus fares keep increasing, its about time they scrapped the NOW card system and made it fairer for everyone. If the fare increases by 10p it will cost me £3.20 for a round trip into Burnley town centre and the return journey home.

greed !

I agree 'burnleyiter' The NOWcard is mostly to blame too, it costs the tax payer a hell of a lot of money because card holders do not get returns, they get singles everywhere, so instead of us paying for on return, we pay for single journeys all the time, if they charged them child fare or a flat fare, they would notice a significant improvement in profit on some routes.

Yet still, bus fares beat the train fares by far, its cheaper by at least 2 or 3 pounds on some services!

Another example of how privatisation and deregulation have failed the People. Whether it is the energy companies, rail network, water supply and banks to name the obvious, privatisation has been a licence to incentivise greed at all levels at the expense of those these companies serve or rip off.
This mad policy continues unabated. We will see the consequences when Royal Mail is run by a private company. Many more post offices will close and the cost of sending a letter or parcel will rocket. The NHS is going the same way and schools are in line for being run by private companies who will make a profit.
When will the People waken up? When it is too late and reversal could cost a fortune. We need our public services to be run by mutual, non-profit making companies in which the workers have a major stake in running them with incentives based on service and productivity targets.

A-in-Lanc wrote:
I agree 'burnleyiter' The NOWcard is mostly to blame too, it costs the tax payer a hell of a lot of money because card holders do not get returns, they get singles everywhere, so instead of us paying for on return, we pay for single journeys all the time, if they charged them child fare or a flat fare, they would notice a significant improvement in profit on some routes.

Yet still, bus fares beat the train fares by far, its cheaper by at least 2 or 3 pounds on some services!

having worked and paid into the system for the past 45 years ,on being made redundant last year after 6 months contrib.j.s.a.,the only perk!I am entitled to is the NOWcard,wouldn't it be better to stop people coming into the country (not having contributed) claiming their£25,000

Noiticer wrote:
Another example of how privatisation and deregulation have failed the People. Whether it is the energy companies, rail network, water supply and banks to name the obvious, privatisation has been a licence to incentivise greed at all levels at the expense of those these companies serve or rip off.
This mad policy continues unabated. We will see the consequences when Royal Mail is run by a private company. Many more post offices will close and the cost of sending a letter or parcel will rocket. The NHS is going the same way and schools are in line for being run by private companies who will make a profit.
When will the People waken up? When it is too late and reversal could cost a fortune. We need our public services to be run by mutual, non-profit making companies in which the workers have a major stake in running them with incentives based on service and productivity targets.

Spot on.

In answer to a Parliamentary Question, Norman Baker (transport minister) in Feb 2011 revealed the real rises in the cost of transport between 1979-2011:
Motoring -10%
Rail +51%
Bus +56%
*
Rather than the motorists getting angry when the cost of petrol rises it's the users of buses and trains that are really getting ripped off.

Highway robbery. Still cheaper than running a car though. Sometimes cheaper to get a taxi if more than one travelling. Pushbikes as an alternative, maybe tandem if a couple. Other alternatives roller skates, skateboard if you've got the baggy trousers to match, walking if you've got all day, running or jogging but not if you're a large, on top lady. I used to hitch hike when i was younger, 40 years ago. Free travel should be allowed for all, if you cling on the side or ride on the roof, like they do in third world countries. Must go, time for my power walk, if i can find my walking stick and false teeth.

Noiticer wrote:
Another example of how privatisation and deregulation have failed the People. Whether it is the energy companies, rail network, water supply and banks to name the obvious, privatisation has been a licence to incentivise greed at all levels at the expense of those these companies serve or rip off. This mad policy continues unabated. We will see the consequences when Royal Mail is run by a private company. Many more post offices will close and the cost of sending a letter or parcel will rocket. The NHS is going the same way and schools are in line for being run by private companies who will make a profit. When will the People waken up? When it is too late and reversal could cost a fortune. We need our public services to be run by mutual, non-profit making companies in which the workers have a major stake in running them with incentives based on service and productivity targets.

well said Noiticer. It was only yesterday that I spotted an old double decker in the old green Blackburn bus colours. Basically we are paying a private (French) company to run a worse service, using the same old equipment, for more money; so that some rich investor can get a better return on his share payout.

ossybolt wrote:

A-in-Lanc wrote: I agree 'burnleyiter' The NOWcard is mostly to blame too, it costs the tax payer a hell of a lot of money because card holders do not get returns, they get singles everywhere, so instead of us paying for on return, we pay for single journeys all the time, if they charged them child fare or a flat fare, they would notice a significant improvement in profit on some routes. Yet still, bus fares beat the train fares by far, its cheaper by at least 2 or 3 pounds on some services!

having worked and paid into the system for the past 45 years ,on being made redundant last year after 6 months contrib.j.s.a.,the only perk!I am entitled to is the NOWcard,wouldn't it be better to stop people coming into the country (not having contributed) claiming their£25,000

there's always somebody complaining when they can't get access to one of lifes little perks. You enjoy your NOW card. The bus is there anyway, you might as well use it!

How can Lancashire United justify the increase in fares? In Blackburn we have not got a better service, in fact its worse than when they took over. There has not been an investment in new vehicles since 2007 and in 18 months the fares have gone up 3 times yet they want to up the fares again? For me, my partner and child its cheaper to get taxis (and they wonder why no-one is using their buses). They are not bothered about us the passengers, they are interested in high profits!!!

burnleyiter wrote:
It makes me so angry that bus fares keep increasing, its about time they scrapped the NOW card system and made it fairer for everyone. If the fare increases by 10p it will cost me £3.20 for a round trip into Burnley town centre and the return journey home.

Is it true that the NOW scheme is in fact paid for by the government?
The same as other social benefits, such as disability benefit, and jobseekers allowance.
I understand that the local council e.g. Burnley or Pendle for example, pay Transdev for the fares of the people, who ride on the bus, using a NOW card.
Central government then pay the local council.
If this is correct, Transdev are gaining more passengers by using the NOW scheme, since they are getting paid for them, and they are passengers, which without a NOW card would not travel.
If the NOW scheme stopped, would the Transdev revenue not fall? If the revenue fell, would the fares not go even higher?

It is paid by Lancashire County Council (used to be the Districts) - or Blackburn Council - for which they get a grant from central government.

Tony Greaves

jack daniels wrote:

ossybolt wrote:

A-in-Lanc wrote: I agree 'burnleyiter' The NOWcard is mostly to blame too, it costs the tax payer a hell of a lot of money because card holders do not get returns, they get singles everywhere, so instead of us paying for on return, we pay for single journeys all the time, if they charged them child fare or a flat fare, they would notice a significant improvement in profit on some routes. Yet still, bus fares beat the train fares by far, its cheaper by at least 2 or 3 pounds on some services!

having worked and paid into the system for the past 45 years ,on being made redundant last year after 6 months contrib.j.s.a.,the only perk!I am entitled to is the NOWcard,wouldn't it be better to stop people coming into the country (not having contributed) claiming their£25,000

there's always somebody complaining when they can't get access to one of lifes little perks. You enjoy your NOW card. The bus is there anyway, you might as well use it!

Where do you get this figure of £25,000 from,most people on benefits will get no where near that ammount

TONY WALES wrote:

burnleyiter wrote: It makes me so angry that bus fares keep increasing, its about time they scrapped the NOW card system and made it fairer for everyone. If the fare increases by 10p it will cost me £3.20 for a round trip into Burnley town centre and the return journey home.

Is it true that the NOW scheme is in fact paid for by the government? The same as other social benefits, such as disability benefit, and jobseekers allowance. I understand that the local council e.g. Burnley or Pendle for example, pay Transdev for the fares of the people, who ride on the bus, using a NOW card. Central government then pay the local council. If this is correct, Transdev are gaining more passengers by using the NOW scheme, since they are getting paid for them, and they are passengers, which without a NOW card would not travel. If the NOW scheme stopped, would the Transdev revenue not fall? If the revenue fell, would the fares not go even higher?

It is all paid by government, but per passenger they do not receive as much as if the passengers were to pay, thats why the fares have to increase for the paying passengers. Whereas if all passengers paid then the cost would be spread over the running of the service.

tonygreaves wrote:
It is paid by Lancashire County Council (used to be the Districts) - or Blackburn Council - for which they get a grant from central government.

Tony Greaves

And still pensioners travel for free for most of the day. Commuters and families are subsidising their travel through increased fares it seems to me.

Surely this should be scrapped and pensioners asked to pay a flat fee of say a pound. It seems unfair that as fares are increased many of the passengers are travelling for free.