Posted by Excalibur_1949 on Fri 2 Jan 09, 2:52 AM to Excalibur_1949's blog.
I was sat yesterday thinking of how public transport had made New Year's Eve such a great time for all.
We have recently been bombarded with suggestions we leave the car at home while we go out and party over the Christmas and New Year period, and that the Police had increased the number of spot checks for drink drivers.
What a fantastic idea it was, then, to stop all bus services north of Middleton from 7.00 pm on New year Eve.
Anyone wanting to take part in festivities in Manchester, or travelling from Manchester to another area, such as Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton, could either pay inflated taxi prices, (the local councils had all agreed to allow taxis to increase to rate 2 from 6.00 pm) or walk. Of course, there was a third option. drive.
If local bus companies had run skeleton services, that may of helped I suppose, and someone is going to point out that there were occasional buses running, and there were.
However. I arrived at Middleton bus station at 7.00 pm, going north, only to find that the bus station was physically locked up,and the temperature outside was minus three. I tried to find someone to ask what time the bus was, this by the way, was one of the skeleton bus services meant to be running, and was told there would not be one for almost two hours.
I would like to thank First Bus, Stage Coach, and many other bus companies in the area for their great help in making life so much easier at a time when most people really WOULD use their services...had they been there.
In London a special effort is made on New Year Eve to ensure that people can get out and about on local services, and not feel the need to drive. I admit, they charge more for the fares, and there are fewer buses and trains. However, it is easily possible to get from Watford, (the north end of the Underground) to the southern most part of the underground, at 3,00 am on New Year morning, by which time most revellers are home, or close to.
Drink drivers are fewer here than most other areas, thanks entirely to the fact that public services really are available.
Maybe larger cities, with out flung rural areas. should learn from this. and next year, they will provide services that really do help people celebrate in safety, with ease, and with pleasure.
But I am not going to hold my breath. maybe the local servicers want everyone to stay home and celebrate. what a difference that would make....to the pubs who often use the takings on New Year Eve, to cover times when takings are not so good.
Just as a footnote. The price for a taxi from Middleton to Rochdale for the main local taxi company, was quoted at £25. it was only because I caught a taxi driver who was going home to Rochdale himself. that I got one cheaper.
SO once again, I would love to offer My thanks to all local services for helping to make My New Year Eve such a wonderful experience.
Edited Fri 2 Jan 09, 3:08 AM by Excalibur_1949
| 2 Jan 09, 9:23 AM Princess_Rebecca UK(EN), 6 yrs   |
In London, travel is free after 11:45pm on New Year's Eve until 4:30am on New Year's Day (4:30am is the beginning of a new 'day' for Transport for London, fareswise), so although you might have to pay to get where you want to go, the return costs nothing. This applies to London Underground, the buses, Docklands Light Railway and the Croydon Tramlink, and I gather this year that rail services operated by London Overground were also free. Taxi services are extortionate, however - not that London's ever exactly cheap for that sort of thing, but I gather there's a £4 charge before you even start going somewhere! The major downside, on the Underground at least, is that it's an absolute shambles - people vomiting over trains, platforms and anything else, pissing on platforms, smashing windows, pulling down emergency handles for a laugh, going for little jaunts on the tracks, endless fights... I was lucky and finished early this NYE (21:40-ish) but listening to the messroom talk about it the next evening was pretty eye-opening. Apparently at Acton Town one bloke ended up down on the rails and, after being hauled up by policeman and restrained, managed to kick one of them over, causing him to fall onto the tracks as well - thankfully, with traction current off. There appears to have been one fatality on the Central Line as well this year after someone decided to stroll down the track. if loving you makes a slave of me then i'll spend my whole life in chains |
| 2 Jan 09, 11:02 AM EricStanton UK(BD), 11 yrs |
It sounds like a letter to the local paper and another to the council asking for a response would be worth a couple of stamps. The older I get the more I recall.........how little I knew when I knew it all. |
| 2 Jan 09, 12:55 PM res4sub 7 yrs |
I went out to manchester on xmas eve, with all buses stopping at 7pm i refused point blank to pay the £40 taxi fare i was quoted last year ( normally £15 from my house to manc, then about £25 when the fares go up after midnight) and drove in instead. still had a good night, but it was a bit of a bummer not drinking on xmas eve, and having to pick up the pieces of my friend rather than the other way round  xx'Would it be a bad thing if I just strangled you with these right now?' Edited 2 Jan 09, 12:57 PM by res4sub |
