On 10th October, we mentioned the opportunities that car travel dampening fuel price rises give the bus industry – provided that bus fares don’t increase as a result, something down to fuel duty rebate, now called BSOG.
The Commission for Integrated Transport believes that bus operators have much to gain in mitigating escalating fuel bills by promoting eco-driving methods. CfIT feels eco-driving’s been largely ignored within the bus industry, though one large group – First – has recently given it a massive boost, from last May.
CfIT’s research suggests that eco-driving could reduce fuel use by between two and 10 per cent. Good business sense, and it would save a ton or two of CO2, as well. And that reduction is before hybrids and biofuels are considered. CfIT believes that eco-driving’s more important than these measures.
We feel, though, that tackling congestion for bus operators would be at least as significant as eco-driving in reducing fuel bills. But that's an entirely different story...
Saturday, 27 October 2007
Eco-driving
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Encouraging green travel? Pah! Please pardon me if I speak immoderately, but...to to encourage green travel...
1) Well how about looking at where most public transport users are (buses) and giving them a break? Fuel duty I'm talking about and the fact that, yet again, bus fuel duty isn't fully rebated...filthy gas guzzling air polluting air travellers don't pay anything towards this, nor do diesel-powered rail travellers...so why should the majority of green (public transport - bus) travellers get caned eh?
2) Then again...on to an old favourite on this site...why do farepaying English bus passengers pay extra so that free concessionary travellers can go free? Many Bus Companies in England get back only 46p in the pound for OAP journeys (last year it was only 36p!) whilst previously (prior to free travel) they got about 80p?
All very well to say no bus company should be better or worse off through carrying extra passengers, but when in Southern England you've invested heavily in extra vehicles and drivers to carry the hugely increased loadings, and get such a piss-poor return, all you can do (sadly) is surcharge your other passengers...why is there such a divide between well funded and badly funded council schemes?
It's a con by the chancellor, (now the PM), in connivance with certain more northern Labour controlled authorities (who surprise surprise have done well out of the way the extra government money has been distributed)... and everybody in power is simply lying about it...from MPs down to local councillors...the passenger pays in the end...yeah...so very green ain't it...
By the way, as an aside, why aren't Welsh and Scottish bus companies and their passengers (who get back in excess of 70p as opposed to 46p) penalised in this way?
It's obviously a huge disadvantage to be English with this Scottish PM...he's alleged to be half-blind - clearly he looks on England with the bad'un!
3) We keep hearing about the carrot and stick approach to transport - viz increase parking charges/congestion charges/road charges etc blah blah blah and plough the money back into public transport...the only guy who's had the guts to actually do this is Ken Livingstone (and that is at least partly because transport-wise he's in an unique position being in control of a still-regulated transport system)...but where are all the rest of the spineless national or local politicians? In the motoring lobbies pockets of course! Yes we all laugh at Jeremy Clarksons antics but let's be honest, it's attitudes like his that are polluting if not killing our world...
4) So where is the governments support for alternative fuel sources? Travelling with happy gas? OK so where can you buy it? why is it so dear?
Recycling chip fat? (A Stagecoach initiative I believe) Nice idea but oh god, be sure you pay the excess tax/duty on it...
Where are the fuel duty breaks to encourage a sensible recycling policy like this? Nowhere...fucking nowhere...oh sorry...I forgot...in the UK joined-up thinking is cloud cuckoo land thinking...
5) Local Councils/PTAs could be our salvation...they're closer to the "dear peepull" than national government aren't they? Give them Quality Contract legislation and they can sort it...Well...except that in terms of the existing Quality Bus Partnerships, these are generally the same authorities who have signed up and then reneged on their part, which is usually traffic management, (claiming lack of funding but usually it's lack of balls)...
Worse still, (vide Mel Kendall of Hampshire County Council), these are the very people who've cut back funding for public transport to pad out budget problems elsewhere, like care homes and the like...would you trust this guy with your local council policy, your savings, your local taxes ? Would you bollocks ! So why trust him with your buses?
There's a lot more than this wrong with the system, but shit it's late and I'm tired....I've been in this business over thirty years and am SO very tired of hearing from the know-nothings...goodnight
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