Case study one - a shopping trip to Falmouth. The easy and lazy way is a car trip. 2.5 miles round trip - £1 at government approved rates - and 3 hours in the Quarry car park - £2.50. So that is £3.50 for two people.
The bus must compete with that surely?? And if we walk in to town (a 1.7 mile walk the less-hilly way) we can save money AND get fit.
Having walked into town and spent a happy time wandering the shops we headed back for the bus. We had to wait 45 minutes for it, so we had a cup of tea in Wetherspoons right by the bus stop, but it wouldn't be fair to add that to the cost would it?
Eventually we caught the bus - and the cost for two tickets one way was - £3.60!
So much for the fit and green approach
Case study two - a trip for two to Truro
The only "approved" integrated transport method is to drive to the Park and Ride at Threemilestone (the other side of the city from Falmouth) and get the bus to the city centre. The cost is 22 miles return or £8.80 at government approved rates, plus £2.40 for the park and ride bus - £11.20
But it has to make sense to use the train surely. Day return for two is £6.80. Unfortunately the station is 3/4 of a mile out of the city (up a hill which one could do without when laden with shopping on your return) so the bus helps out - cost £3 for two people. So we are up to £9.80. At least that is cheaper!
However, there is a better approach surely! The Park and Ride bus stops at the station and is only £2.40 return for two people. Only a 60p saving, but it is frequent, and designed for the job. And yes, you can use it for this bit of the journey, but only if you have already bought a ticket two miles away at the park and ride car park! Huh???
So on this occasion public transport wins, but I am glossing over the fact that at the home end the station is 0.6 miles away, with a nasty sharp hill in each direction. In fact the final hill climb on the way home is a real killer for Mr Grumpy.
There is a bus from outside our door to Falmouth, and Falmouth to Truro, but given that the Falmouth leg will cost us £7.20 return I don't even think I will begin to go there!
So there you have it. Integrated transport??? Try again Cornwall! Until you do I shall stick with my car.
Mr Grumpy
1/6/10
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What's a government approved rate? £8.80 for 22 miles of driving? Maybe in a Hummer... Or is that including other costs like road tax, buying a car, maintenance etc?
ReplyDeleteAnd why must your blog give me a captcha to post every single comment, despite being signed in with a google accout???????
The government rate for reimbursement of travel expenses without any taxable profit being incurred is 40p per mile, and has been for more years than is decent!
ReplyDeleteAnd I have no idea about the captcha, sorry. I don't think I can turn it off. It is presumably to stop spam.