^My tour across England and I did it all on my free bus pass^

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Oxford Times:

^My tour across England and I did it all on my free bus pass^


Alan Gurr, delighted having completed his grand north-south bus ride. Picture: OX68981 Antony Moore

Bus fanatic Alan Gurr has achieved his dream of travelling across England for nothing using his bus pass.

The 67-year-old granddad^s first attempt to traverse the country by bus failed last year because he missed a connection.

But now the divorced Didcot dad-of-two has completed his mission thanks to the national scheme, which gives free travel in England after 9.30am. And he has raised ^350 for East Oxford^s Helen & Douglas House hospice in the process.

After a train up, he set off from the most northerly bus stop in England, at Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland, on Monday, July 14.

The following Tuesday, eight days and 32 buses later, he arrived at the country^s most southerly bus stop at Land^s End and took the train home.

Mr Gurr, who works on the factory floor at TNT packaging warehouse at Milton Park, said: ^A lot of people spend all year saving up to go on holiday to a sunny beach in the south of France. That would drive me crackers. I^d just get bored and sunburnt ^ it does not appeal. I really enjoy England, I like my holidays at home, I like B&Bs and I like travelling. I decided to do it by bus just to see if I could, and I could.^

Mr Gurr said: ^We all had very hot weather that week except for me in the Lake District. With all the rain and steamed-up bus windows, I couldn^t see the beautiful scenery. Apart from that, it was a very enjoyable week for me, helped by the knowledge that I was raising some funds for a very worthy cause. All of my pre-booked B&Bs were good ^ some of the beers I tasted weren^t.^

He said the best evening meal he had was at Harry Ramsden^s fish and chip restaurant in Blackpool.

Last July he travelled south-to-north but missed a crucial connection and had to take a train.

He added: ^It was a personal challenge. One missed bus connection meant I had to complete that day^s journey by train. I decided there and then to do it again, properly, with no mistakes on my part. Now I have done it, albeit in the opposite direction.^

HOW HE DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains) IT

Sunday, July 13 ^ train from Didcot Parkway to Berwick-upon-Tweed
Monday, 14, ^ Berwick, Newcastle, Carlisle, Keswick, Ambleside ^ 4 buses
Tuesday, 15 ^ Ambleside, Lancaster, Blackpool ^ 2 buses
Wednesday, 16 ^ Blackpool, Preston, Chorley, Wigan, Warrington, Northwich, Middlewich ^ 6 buses
Thursday, 17 ^ Middlewich, Winsford, Crewe, Newcastle Under Lyme, Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth ^ 5 buses
Friday, 18 ^ Bridgnorth, Kidderminster, Worcester, Hereford, Gloucester ^ 4 buses
Saturday, 19 ^ Gloucester, Lydney, Chepstow, Bristol, Wells, Taunton, Axminster, Exeter ^ 7 buses (a busy day) A Sunday bus timetables meant I could not finish the trip that day
Monday, 21 ^ Exeter, Wadebridge, Truro, Penzance, Land^s End ^ 4 buses
Tuesday, 22 ^ train from Penzance to Didcot.

Sponsor Mr Gurr at justgiving.com/Alan-Gurr

[grahame]

^My tour across England and I did it all on my free bus pass^

I did find myself wondering about Mr Gurr's free bus pass - that's only free at the point of use; paid for by the taxpayers. My understanding is that the bus pass scheme, introduced for local travel to keep senior citizens going out and about, more mobile and healthier, is to a degree abusing the principle by the taking of long distance journeys without contribution for travel from the traveller, and these long distance publicity trips are well outside the scope of what was intended by the scheme.  In effect, the local taxpayers of the areas that Mr Gurr has passed through are required to make a contribution to his particular good causes.

This is just a "wonder" - it may be that the occassional abuse of intent is "spray" that it's better to live with than to have an alternative system which would have much worse characteristics. It may even be that Mr Gurr (who is not the first, and surely won't be the last to do this sort of thing) thought about how he could make a contribution for his travel, but from the way the headline reads as if that was a long way from his mind.

The cost of free bus passes comes up again in Wiltshire - a consultation currently underway concerning additional concessions above the legal minimum currently provided, but perhaps to be cut back or withdrawn completely. See http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/consultation-travel-concession-factsheet.pdf

[TaplowGreen]

The guy has raised ^350 for a children's hospice, I'd say that pretty much makes it worthwhile on its own, and as you can see he's still working and contributing at 67 - good luck to him and may he have many more lengthy "free" trips.

[ellendune]

The guy has raised ^350 for a children's hospice, I'd say that pretty much makes it worthwhile on its own, and as you can see he's still working and contributing at 67 - good luck to him and may he have many more lengthy "free" trips.

I don't know but I would say that if he had had to pay for the various bus journeys individually then that would be much of the ^350.  So has he really raised it?

[TaplowGreen]

The guy has raised ^350 for a children's hospice, I'd say that pretty much makes it worthwhile on its own, and as you can see he's still working and contributing at 67 - good luck to him and may he have many more lengthy "free" trips.

I don't know but I would say that if he had had to pay for the various bus journeys individually then that would be much of the ^350.  So has he really raised it?

Sorry, I didn't account for the fact that someone could be so mean spirited as to factor that into the equation of raising money for terminally ill children......for some people, the glass will always be half empty I guess.

[grahame]

I guessed I was going to start a rather strong discussion here ... perhaps a bit naughty of me.

What would I do? What would I feel happy doing? ... Well - it happens I'm planning to be doing a sponsored event next month which starts me in Melksham and has me ending up in a town that's a way away.  How will I get back?   Public Transport, for which I'll pay the normal adult fare. 

Would I ask the transport provider or my local council for a sponsorship / complimentary ticket for my return journey?   Yes, if I felt that the amount to be raised was worth it, and on past record / from what I've read here, the transport company would probably take a positive view especially for a superb cause. The local council through the area board would also be open to the approach - but it really should be their choice at the end of the day.

Would I see it as my moral right to have free transport for my return journey at the expense of someone had no opportunity to decide whether to contribute?  No, personally I wouldn't.

The waters are, though, muddy when it comes to looking at who provides the bus pass and who to ask;  it has been done in the past - as I recall, there was a case of a special extension to an English bus pass to allow a British (Land's End to John O'Groats) journey - ask and you shall be given; take and you open yourself to questions.

[TaplowGreen]

Good luck with your sponsored event Grahame, does it involve climbing to the top of the moral high ground? 

In the case of our well travelled friend below I don't see him claiming moral rights to anything, I see him utilising a universal facility given to people by virtue of their age, and if by doing so he raises money for such a worthy cause, I'd say the ends justify the means.

Having said that, my own Father (a sprightly 75) refuses to use his bus pass because as he puts it "there are too many old people on buses these days"!!!

[ellendune]

The guy has raised ^350 for a children's hospice, I'd say that pretty much makes it worthwhile on its own, and as you can see he's still working and contributing at 67 - good luck to him and may he have many more lengthy "free" trips.

I don't know but I would say that if he had had to pay for the various bus journeys individually then that would be much of the ^350.  So has he really raised it?

Sorry, I didn't account for the fact that someone could be so mean spirited as to factor that into the equation of raising money for terminally ill children......for some people, the glass will always be half empty I guess.

I do not wish to appear mean spirited, but I wished to point out that we have a bus pass scheme that is under pressure and is putting local authorities under pressure to the extent that it may not be sustainable. It is also appears in places to be distorting the market for passengers who have to pay their own fares. 

The charity is clearly worthy of support.  I was merely asked whether the end justified the means. 

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

My observations as an occasional local bus user and pass holder is that the majority of pass holders use it for what it is intended, i.e. to enable elderly people to get out for shopping and other events and probably for most used once or twice a week. However I observe a minority of users who still hold down a part time job use the pass to get to and from work, often on a 5 day a week basis. As the bus operator is reimbursed according to the number of journeys made, these users cost the tax payer proportionally more for a use not originally intended. Of course there is also the view that with current financially constraints on income, more people need to continue working and working does tend to keep people more healthy into their older age so there are pros and cons. Around here, many local bus services would not survive without the existance of the bus pass scheme as the income the operator receives is often a major element of a bus services finances, even if the income per journey is less than the normal fare, i.e. 100% of some thing small is better than 0% of something much bigger.

[onthecushions]

Just a few snippets, some repeated:

1. The senior bus pass subsidy stabilises the network for the fare-paying traveller. If subsidy were removed tickets would double in price and/or large scale service reductions would be needed.

2. The seniors go off-peak, filling empty seats without imposing marginal costs.

3. The bus network is prohibitively slow for more than local journeys. The examples of long cross country trips are wildly impractical.

4. The network is not comprehensive. Try travelling by bus from Reading to the coast (45 miles). There isn't a through service to Basingstoke, or from there to Winchester. Nor is there even a daily service from Reading to Maidenhead or Slough.

5. The rail lobby may rest in peace.

OTC

[Phil]

2. The seniors go off-peak, filling empty seats without imposing marginal costs.

Not here in Wiltshire (yet). There's a box ticking exercise "public consultation" happening right now with a view to saving public money by preventing the elderly from riding around during peak time. Feel free to complete it if you live in Wiltshire...

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/bus-pass-proposed-withdrawl-early-morning-consultation.htm

[stuving]

1. The senior bus pass subsidy stabilises the network for the fare-paying traveller. If subsidy were removed tickets would double in price and/or large scale service reductions would be needed.

Now where does that come from? Perhaps I should repeat, modified, a previous post:

The ENCTS^▸ (English National Concessionary Travel Scheme) (bus pass scheme) is explicitly designed so that bus operators get the same net revenue as they would if it did not exist. In that case those using it to travel free would either pay the normal fare or not travel. The idea is that payments are made:

For each passenger who would have travelled and paid, full fare
For each passenger who would not have travelled, the extra cost (which is not much - fuel plus seat wear?)
If an extra bus has to be run, the costs of running that bus
If an extra bus has to be provisioned, the costs of acquiring that bus
Administration cost
And a "reasonable" profit

Some of these data are measurable (number of uses of passes), some are not (who would have travelled anyway?)

But, of course, it is more complicated than that. And there is a ridiculously complicated way of working it out. In fact, several - HMG does not specify, only suggest, the algorithm. It has to be chosen by the TCA^▸ (Track Circuit Actuator), and operators can appeal to DfT^» (Department for Transport - about).

All the details, including an explanation of the economic theory, are here. There's also an Excel spreadsheet that does the DfT calculation, for connoisseurs of such things, here. I'd give it an award for insanely complicated spreadsheets.

So the existence of the scheme should not not affect the provision of buses. But does it work as it is meant to?

There have been complaints from operators that they are being underpaid, but I have not seen any evidence (rather than speculation) of this, or suggestions of how, or by how much. "How" might be, for example, TCAs being underfunded and cutting other bus subsidies, or the magic formulas being wrong, or the data not representing reality.

One obvious point is that even if the total reimbursement is right, some individual routes would be overpaid and some underpaid. It will be tempting for an operator to cut, remove, or ask for (more) subsidy for the "losing" ones. In theory the data and the payment produced by the formula would eventually correct for that - if data are collected often enough. Or is that gaming the system? I suspect DfT would say it is.

[onthecushions]

I agree that both the direct bus subsidy and the ENCTS^▸ (English National Concessionary Travel Scheme) payments have been squeezed under the austerity program, hurting the operators. For interest one review is here:

 http://www.dodsmonitoring.com/downloads/2012/CT_briefing_final.pdf

The fact that the cuts have hurt, just makes my point about the value of the original scheme to the industry.

The extras, such as am peak and train travel are of course an abuse;  Boris's GLA being the most extravagant.

OTC

[ellendune]

I agree that both the direct bus subsidy and the ENCTS^▸ (English National Concessionary Travel Scheme) payments have been squeezed under the austerity program, hurting the operators. For interest one review is here:

 http://www.dodsmonitoring.com/downloads/2012/CT_briefing_final.pdf

The fact that the cuts have hurt, just makes my point about the value of the original scheme to the industry.

The extras, such as am peak and train travel are of course an abuse;  Boris's GLA being the most extravagant.

OTC

The link you gave talks about impact of cuts on local authorities and particularly PTE^▸ (Passenger Transport Executive)'s. Not clear what that tells us about the value of the scheme to the industry.

[onthecushions]

Try:

http://www.alanhowesworld.com/Files/Overview%20of%20Bus%20Industry%20Performance.pdf

Section 9, Figure 11 etc.

Probably a download for the PC not the 'phone.

Regards,

OTC