Used Local Bus, Got A Big Shock! (1 Viewer)

[TinaLes]

We have just returned from our Maiden Voyage in our new Moho from Norden Farm Campsite, Corfe Castle Dorset, Nice site but a bit muddy this time of year.
We decided to try the local bus service (Breezer 40) from outside the site entrance, to Wareham for our evening meal, its about 4 Miles and a dodgy road to cycle at night with no pavements.
The bus pulled up we got on, flashed our swipe card, got receipt and sat down. I asked TinaL how much was the fare, she said with amazement having checked the receipt....£8 , yes £8 there, and a further £8 back a few hours later. So it was easy to work out that that bus was charging a £1 per mile!!!.
Its many years since I got any kind of bus, except when visiting London, and thats a cheap day return ticket to cover trains also, but its no wonder that everyone drives a car rather than use Buses if thats a typical bus ticket price.
Yes I was in shock, it sort of spoilt the evenings experience, or am I being a tight old Scroat?
I envy you Funsters that have bus passes, they are worth their weight in gold, so use them as much as you can

 

[Janine]

Many buses have a daily 'rover' ticket - they're about £5 around here - and cover all journies that day.

 

[SpeedyDux]

This morning I had to catch an early bus to get to a hospital appointment, so the journey wasn't elegible for my free Travelcard.

7.3 mile journey for a £3 single fare. In the rush hour too. That seemed reasonable to me.

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[Teuchter]

Compared to France & Spain the UK bus fares are huge!!!

 

[Lenny HB]

Our local buses are quite dear during the day but cheaper at night. To get the 4 miles to Worthing it's about £5.50 return of £5 for a day rider now this is the mad bit to get 7 miles to Brighton it's £7.50 return but walk along 2 stops its only £3.50 as they have to compete with the Brighton buses.
After 7pm you can go all the way from Worthing to Brighton for £2.50 up until about 4 or 5am.
Me, I use me bus pass.

 

[cranky]

with some bus companies, returns are not much more than the single. always ask first.

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[John&Kate]

We decided to try the local bus service (Breezer 40) from outside the site entrance, to Wareham for our evening meal, its about 4 Miles and a dodgy road to cycle at night with no pavements.

We used the #40 bus on Saturday from Lychett Minster Campsite into Poole, from there we got ob the 5/6 Service to Tower Park, family of 4 (2 adults 2 kids) £10.50 all day saver ticket, only problem was on the return to Poole bus station in the evening we had to wait over an hour for the next #40 so we jumped into a taxi which cost £12

Cant wait to get our A-Frame fitted for next years travelling.

Don't normally do public transport

 

[Pausim]

I think the Breezer buses are seen as tourist ones and it would seem priced accordingly. The Morebus services around Poole and Bournemouth are more reasonably priced.

 

[Ivory55]

When I have needed to use the bus in to Lynn I was the only one paying and handling over cash.

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[pappajohn]

Last time I got a bus it was a shilling return for a 6 mile journey.
It was a double decker with a separate drivers cab and no rear door.

 

[Janine]

BROKEN LINK

 

[Podney]

Well,you probably are an old scroat,but as to the rest,I couldn’t possibly comment.

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[maxi77]

As an old grumpy bastard the good government of Scotand gives me a magic card that gives me free scheduled bus travel within the country. works very well

 

[Steve and Denise]

We find it cheaper and more convenient to use a car, buses are unreliable and expensive.

 

[pappajohn]

We find it cheaper and more convenient to use a car, buses are unreliable and expensive.

A car takes you to the door, a bus might take you within a few streets of the door.
Local buses stop running at 7pm....what good is that ?

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[EX51SSS]

Still paying for buses? Admittedly I rarely use them but occasionally the tram in Manchester and my pass works well.
Can use on (most) buses in the country.

 

[teddybear]

English bus pass is not eligible for use in Scotland.I do not know if the reverse is true

 

[Wh05apk]

Unfortunately where we are, buses are totally unreliable, and ridiculously expensive, it is far cheaper to drive - even for one person, it seems the only times buses are busy, is just after 9:00am, when all the pensioners rush to get on them for free! It's a shame, as public transport should be the future.

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[Pausim]

English bus pass is not eligible for use in Scotland.I do not know if the reverse is true

I believe it is the same, Scottish ones are not valid in England.

 

[JockandRita]

We'll be on the bus this afternoon to Peterborough. It's £3.60 per adult, per return, for a journey of 10 x miles each way, with buses every 20 x minutes. Unfortunately, the last bus back is 20.15 hrs.
Compared to the comments from others, we appear to have a very good deal there.

When I have needed to use the bus in to Lynn I was the only one paying and handling over cash.

We had that experience on a double decker, at Brean Sands. We, and an elderly woman with a Welsh bus pass, were the only paying passengers, and the bus was full with standing room only. The driver couldn't even give change out of a tenner.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[SuperMike]

Last time I got a bus it was a shilling return for a 6 mile journey.
It was a double decker with a separate drivers cab and no rear door.

A shilling, I am not sure I can remember that far back, Uncle PPJ.

That was probably, based on your age, a Leland RT.

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[maison]

What's a bus?

Never seen one in our part of the country.

Are they a rare species of some kind?

 

[emjaiuk]

We use buses quite a bit, albeit with a free bus pass. We don't live near a bus-stop, so depending where we are going we drive to a bus-stop with convenient parking. Our nearest large town is Kingston Surrey, and traffic is always bad, so the buses' ability to use bus lanes and drop us right in the shopping center makes the journey time quicker than by car. Half of our buses come under TfL so you can't use cash on them, only Oyster. swipecards or passes.


Malcolm

 

[jockaneezer]

We have an hourly bus service till around 5pm. This time last year it cost £3.60 to get to town (approx 3 miles) but the ticket was a return, with no cheaper option for a single. Last week it's gone up to £5 single only ! The dearest council car park in town costs £8 for all day. And they bus companies wonder why no one uses them ?

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[Pausim]

Had a look at the Breezer bus info online. Seems to be marketed as a tourist thing and the £8+ fare seems to cover all the way from Swanage to Poole, taking the pretty route. Perhaps the op was sold the wrong ticket or was just unlucky to only need to use a short bit of the route.

 

[TinaLes]

Hi Pausim, Yes you are correct, it would seem that we could have bought a hop on all day ticket for £8.10 for the route 40 bus, according to The Breezer Bus website. And yes we only needed to do the middle bit for 4 miles to get from Norden to Wareham. Neither bus driver to, or from, our desired destination offed us any advice or help on the all day ticket service, they just asked whereto? and swiped our card to take £8 each way. Hindsight is a wonderful thing isn't it? We are just not used to using buses, so didn't think to ask the appropriate question, like is there a return ticket price, or a special all day deal. We wernt even aware it was a "Tourist" bus service as it appeared to be the only bus on that route.
Well at least we will know next time, forewarned is forearmed so they say.

 

[gus-lopez]

Compared to France & Spain the UK bus fares are huge!!!

As are the trains.
The dearest part of an AVE journey London to Barcelona is the Uk bit.

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[teddybear]

Stopped at Abbey Wood a couple of years ago, went to get on local bus all we got was "no cash " not helpful,no mention of Oyster card or swiping bank card. Their loss went and got on train

 

[Pausim]

Neither bus driver to, or from, our desired destination offed us any advice

Hi @TinaL, I think you could have expected more from the drivers. I would have been similarly miffed in the circumstances and it is helpful to know about these pitfalls.

 

[PeteH]

We do have a bus service from the village, and at times it has been useful. However, If as I used to, I needed to get to HULL to pick up a Truck at 3am?. Not a lot of use, the service starts at 7am and the last is around 8pm. Rural life makes car almost a necessity.

The bigger issue, is how does a disabled or Elderly person carry a weeks groceries?.

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