"Buses off our hands"
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IN REPLY to Councillor James Cook of Edinburgh, regarding the intended break-up of the city's bus system by the Government of the Lothian Transport services (CM. December 22/29, Coach and Bus News)—
Let me at the outset say that he has his slogan the wrong way round. It should read "Buses off our Hands". And instead of the passengers complaining or protesting to their MPs and government ministers, they would be wise to start, first of all, with their own city chambers of councillors and their present general manager of transport.
I started my motor engineering apprenticeship in Musselburgh with Jas Bowen and Sons, now of Edinburgh, and also with Albion Motors of Edinburgh. That was in the early Thirties. In those days we were proud of our public transport service.
Although I have lived the last 25 years in England, I have always kept up a keen interest in Scottish transport.
When Edinburgh Corporation Transport was under the control of its general manager, Mr Payne, it ran a very good schedule and maintenance procedure for a considerable number of years. Unfortunately, this changed when the late Mr Little took control of trams and buses. We now moved into a 'whizz kid' style of transport management that got out of hand, because basic knowledge of transport was thrown to the winds.
Last September, while on holiday in Edinburgh visiting my relatives, my wife and I were put off the bus because we hadn't the correct fares by a very impertinent and abrupt driver/conductor. When we tried to explain that we were visitors on holiday, all we got was "get off"!
But when we eventually got on a bus in Leith Walk to take us to the West End I counted 11 passengers who actually paid their fares. The others just showed a pass. I've no need to tell you how many stops there are in that distance. The passes may be a very good idea indeed, but I'm sure a nominal fare paid for each journey would not go amiss either.
Then you have three number 16 buses running in convoy followed by two number 12 route, again in convoy. What a waste of buses due to bad programming and an outdated system.
My message to Lothian Councillor James Cook is this. Why not send a delegation of practical public transport personnel south to see how Leicester Corporation operated and absorb the high technology that helps them ensure high motivation? There is always room for learning in this highly competitive field of modern public transport. Try this out, Mr Cook, and perhaps then you can honestly say, "hands off Our buses".
JOHN W. B. CLARK Corby Northamptonshire