[Shades]

I’m back in the office; hybrid working (60:40 home/office).  I usually cycle (17 miles each way) or do a drive/cycle combo (close enough to the office to avoid the traffic and cycle in normal clothes without getting sweaty) if the weather is a bit inclement (or winter).  Bike park at work (many 1000s work at my site) is pretty empty (OK, people are working flexibly) but the traffic queues are almost back to pre-pandemic levels in places.  Junior staff in the office, on the lower salaries, wailing about the petrol price increases, which must be around 20%, yet they keep on paying.  Some people haven’t got a choice, granted, but running the sums, cost of driving must be comparable to the bus or train; or dig a bike out and it cost sweet FA!

I wish Chris Boardman the best luck in the world, but when people are doggedly happy to empty their bank accounts to keep driving you have to wonder.

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[Adam Sutton]

I think a huge barrier is the

I think a huge barrier is the cost of public transport in the UK. The reality is, there is more chance of getting people into public transport instead of their cars if it is reliable and affordable. If train stations then build secure cycle storage that may entice people to cycle to the station and then cycle more in general, which is what happened in my case.

As an example of what I am saying. I live two stops outside the London zones, an annual travelcard from here now costs £4280, two stops down and in zone 8 where an oyster/contactless can be used it is stil £3592.

Being out of London, local public transport here is woeful so car ownership is high. If you already have a car and are then faced with a bill like that to leave it at home, you’ll likely just take the car. I hate driving in London and am lucky to be able to afford the ticket price, but consider if you have a driving license and some no claims, that £4280 could buy/tax/insure an old banger and cover a fair bit of fuel.

Knowing Oslo well and also how high the cost of living is I compared out of curiosity. An all zones year pass is equivalent to £1796!

Public transport needs to be treated as a public service again and not a profit making business. 

 

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