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> Why public transport is paid is beyond me. In the UK people over 65 now receive a Senior Citizen card that permits them free use of public transport. The r

> Why public transport is paid is beyond me. In the UK people over 65 now receive a Senior Citizen card that permits them free use of public transport. The respective local governments pay a subsidy to the transport operators when each card is used. Anecdotally, the result is that people take public transport for 'something to do'. Going 120 miles on the cross-border train to Dublin because it is warm and they are bored at home ( they stay on the train when it turns-around ). Catching the bus down into town to post a letter, instead of using the postal box at the end of their street. I have been on buses to my work where I am literally the only passenger paying and I have had to stand on the journey, even at peak rush-hours. On that basis I think that if public transport were made totally free for everyone it would also become unusable for everyone. Unfortunate as it is, paying is the only mechanism to control demand.

DanBC 12y ago
The cards can't be used before 9:00am in some parts of the country. (Gloucestershire, for example). It might be worth sending an email to your LA and local bus company to get information about their rules. (Let them know what bus route you use). It would be nice if drivers were allowed to use a bit of discretion, but paying customers need to be actively encouraged to use public transport. EDIT: forgot to say that the cards are sometimes given to people with a disability. So in theory it's possible for a bus full of non-paying passengers are using their cards to travel to work. I'm not sure if that is worse or better.
parennoob 12y ago
> Anecdotally, the result is that people take public transport for 'something to do'. If this is an extremely common problem (as you seem to say it is), it points to a deep underlying social problem. Most senior citizens I know are pretty well immersed in their own lives; which include those of their children and grandchildren.

DanBC 12y ago

The cards can't be used before 9:00am in some parts of the country. (Gloucestershire, for example). It might be worth sending an email to your LA and local bus company to get information about their rules. (Let them know what bus route you use). It would be nice if drivers were allowed to use a bit of discretion, but paying customers need to be actively encouraged to use public transport. EDIT: forgot to say that the cards are sometimes given to people with a disability. So in theory it's possible for a bus full of non-paying passengers are using their cards to travel to work. I'm not sure if that is worse or better.

parennoob 12y ago

> Anecdotally, the result is that people take public transport for 'something to do'. If this is an extremely common problem (as you seem to say it is), it points to a deep underlying social problem. Most senior citizens I know are pretty well immersed in their own lives; which include those of their children and grandchildren.