Why UK public transport isn't getting anywhere fast.
If at any point in your life you have tried to travel around London using public transport, you will have realised the experience is mainly negative. Varying from hot long delays, to bus breakdowns, there's always something to ruin the journey.
I'll focus on buses and trains, as they are the most common ways of getting around (there's no point talking about trams because they just aren't used enough)
So there is a chance that you're staring at you computer screen thinking, "it's not all that bad, is it?"
Well the 'shock' might come when we compare the UK transport system to the Japanese for example.
If a train turns up late by 1 minute, the driver has to issue passengers with a note which they can give to their employer explaining why they are late for work. This is obviously an extreme case but it does show how the entire mentality is different. Clearly the whole operation is based around efficiency and organisation, two words that shouldn't really be in the English dictionary.
Considering the fact that my average wait for a bus is about 15minutes (after the time it is scheduled to arrive) it really goes to show that we are quite far behind when it comes to transport.
Why is this?
Job satisfaction for bus and train drivers is very low. Strikes are frequent, pay is low, and the job isn't exactly competed for. It seems to be a fair bit of 'somebody has to do it', which doesn't exactly create motivation for employees.
So we may not have the most efficient transport system in the world but it's still quite strong and reliable right?
Wrong again I'm afraid. This time lets look to Norway for our rather embarrassing comparison. Snow s becoming more and more frequent in England and the mere thought of it's arrival causes the whole network to grind to a halt. Norway can have a metre of snow and not a single train is late. Compare that to England where the 'wrong type of snow' can cause dozens of cancelations.
Why is this?
Well, quite simply it's due to the fact we put very little planning into actually solving problems. We simply hope they won't happen. Well considering there is some sort of problem every other day, I think it's time we change our attitude, don't you?
I'll focus on buses and trains, as they are the most common ways of getting around (there's no point talking about trams because they just aren't used enough)
So there is a chance that you're staring at you computer screen thinking, "it's not all that bad, is it?"
Well the 'shock' might come when we compare the UK transport system to the Japanese for example.
If a train turns up late by 1 minute, the driver has to issue passengers with a note which they can give to their employer explaining why they are late for work. This is obviously an extreme case but it does show how the entire mentality is different. Clearly the whole operation is based around efficiency and organisation, two words that shouldn't really be in the English dictionary.
Considering the fact that my average wait for a bus is about 15minutes (after the time it is scheduled to arrive) it really goes to show that we are quite far behind when it comes to transport.
Why is this?
Job satisfaction for bus and train drivers is very low. Strikes are frequent, pay is low, and the job isn't exactly competed for. It seems to be a fair bit of 'somebody has to do it', which doesn't exactly create motivation for employees.
So we may not have the most efficient transport system in the world but it's still quite strong and reliable right?
Wrong again I'm afraid. This time lets look to Norway for our rather embarrassing comparison. Snow s becoming more and more frequent in England and the mere thought of it's arrival causes the whole network to grind to a halt. Norway can have a metre of snow and not a single train is late. Compare that to England where the 'wrong type of snow' can cause dozens of cancelations.
Why is this?
Well, quite simply it's due to the fact we put very little planning into actually solving problems. We simply hope they won't happen. Well considering there is some sort of problem every other day, I think it's time we change our attitude, don't you?