In preparation for the impending General Election I have now moved back full-time to my Brighton flat to up the anti. However I still have to commute to London every day for work. It was only by trying to buy a rail ticket to allow this that I realised what a mess the current system of rail ticket pricing really is.
There are so many variations of tickets, with so many different costs which allow travel at different times and don't allow it at others. It is deeply confusing and very expensive. It is so confusing that even the lady at the ticket office didn't understand it!
If we really are passionate about reducing congestion and the effect of transport on climate change, we need to give people a genuine alternative to using their cars. And that means a fresh focus on public transport.
Amazingly a day return from Brighton to London which gets you into the Capital in time for work costs just under £40 a day!!! That's £200 a week or £800 a month. This is madness.
How can we say that we have an integrated transport infrastructure when Dick Turpin is alive and well on the railway? Paying £40 for the privilege of standing for an hour with your nose in someone's armpit is no way near value for money. No wonder passengers across the country have been up in arms at the latest round of above inflation fare hikes.
The irony is that rail travel is essential to get the workforce to their jobs so they can reinvigorate Britain's economy. A Conservative Government will make this easier by focusing the rail industry on delivering more capacity and better value for money.
This way public transport can help get the economy moving and people into jobs, rather than being an extra burden on family budgets.
( 0 comments )