Bus or Lime bike? New subscription heats up the race for a cheaper commute


New pricing means it might be cheaper to e-cycle or e-scooter than get the bus - but would you?

Suited and booted, James is on his 15-minute commute home from work. But he's not on a bus, a train or a tram - he's on an e-scooter.

"I get to avoid the rush hour and being packed in like a sardine," says the 23-year-old in Salford, Greater Manchester. James is also saving money, something he's keen to do as a recent university graduate. "In terms of raw affordability, £4 on your commute a day is not bad - especially in the cost of living crisis."

He's one of a legion of often young people seen zipping around some of Britain's cities on bright green hired e-scooters and e-bikes operated by US company Lime. Other companies, including Forest and Bolt, and other councils run similar schemes.

And Lime's latest move appears to be an attempt to help change habits for commuters - not just those already scooting or pedalling for leisure.

It launched LimePrime at the end of February - a monthly subscription giving riders in Salford, Nottingham, London, Oxford and Milton Keynes a fixed price for the first 20 minutes of their journey. After that, riders are charged per minute at a discounted rate.

While Lime has arguably been perceived by some in the past as relatively expensive, the new subscription appears to try to undercut the cost of single journeys using buses and other forms of public transport.

In Salford, the LimePrime costs £1.50 for the first 20 minutes in return for a £2.99 monthly fee. By comparison, a single ticket from Salford to Manchester costs £2 by bus and £2.80 by tram - though season tickets for buses and trams can be cheaper.

It raises the question: will more companies and councils bring the pricing of e-scooters and e-bikes in line with buses and other traditional public transport - and can that change how we travel to work in cities?

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Motability drivers 'horrified' by compulsory black-box trackers

Motability drivers under the age of 30 say they are "horrified" by rule changes that mean their vehicles will be fitted with compulsory black boxes.

They will monitor driving habits, such as speed and braking, and will provide a weekly rating.

More than four red ratings over 12 months could see drivers removed from the Motability scheme, which allows eligible disabled people to lease a new car using part of their benefit payments.

Critics say the UK-wide change will affect disabled people's freedom and ability to work, but Motability says it is about "keeping prices down and keeping people safe". It says it has removed 300 drivers since a pilot scheme began in Northern Ireland in September.

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During last year's Budget, the government removed its tax break on insurance and it must now cover 12% on each insurance premium. It must also now pay VAT on some vehicles meaning the scheme will need to pay out an additional £300m from 1 July.

Nigel Fletcher, chief executive of the Motability Foundation, said that would be the equivalent of a price rise of £1,100 for every driver on the scheme. "A lot of disabled people won't be able to afford that, so we're now having to try and work out how can we make changes to the scheme that protects pricing as much as we possibly can," said Fletcher.

He added that black box was about "keeping prices down and keeping people safe" and its data had also found younger drivers to be the highest risk.

He said, of the 300 drivers removed from the scheme, one had driven 117mph in a 30mph zone.

"This a serious safety issue, not just for that individual, but everyone else in that community. They will get lots of warnings before they get taken off the scheme. And then if they are taken off the scheme, we will need to start looking at what our policies are around allowing them back onto the scheme in the future."

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A test in Northern Ireland saw 300 vehicles taken from the disabled - one was recorded doing 117mph in a 30mph zone

From Belfast Live

Motability takes back 300 Northern Ireland vehicles as compulsory black box rules come in on April 13

More than four red ratings over 12 months could see drivers removed from the Motability scheme and the car seized

Motability users have been informed about new mandatory changes taking effect from April 13 for drivers. Newly leased vehicles will be equipped with telematics devices that will track driving behaviour, including speed and braking patterns, and will generate a weekly performance score.

Receiving more than four red ratings within a 12-month period could result in drivers being removed from the Motability scheme, which enables eligible disabled people to lease a new car using a portion of their benefit payments. The new requirement will apply to all new first time leases, all customers aged under 30 and any which have a named driver under 30.

I tend to go for physical tickets.  Having a mobile one could be seen as putting all your eggs in one basket.  If my phone is lost or stolen I’d lose my ticket and my virtual debit card so would not be able to buy a replacement. 

Tamar Valley experience holidays may boost tourism industry


The viaduct at Calstock that carries the branch line across the Tamar Valley

Tourism bosses in the Tamar Valley are hoping to boost the local economy by encouraging people to stay a little longer with experiential holidays.

Experiential is where a tourism businesses collaborates with other providers to add an experience such as a ferry ride, a tour or even a cooking course.

The unspoilt beauty of Tamar Valley, which is a National Landscape, has long been a destination choice for short-stay visitors.

Sarah Bartlett, head of marketing at Visit Tamar Valley, said: "We're now focussing on experiential stays and we're asking our members to package up experiences along with stays so people have a real focus... and invest in spending time here."  She said: "People are no longer just wanting to book somewhere to stay, they want to come and experience the area fully, like a local arguably. They're really going to get an experience that creates memories and lasts a lifetime."

A popular attraction for visitors is the 87-mile Tamara Coast to Coast Way that starts in Devon and crosses over the River Tamar, which is traditionally via train across the Calstock Viaduct.

But now an electric ferry, which is powered entirely by solar energy, can pick up passengers at Ferry Farm in Devon and then drop off at Calstock or the National Trust's Cothele House. Will Mattos, who runs the ferry, hopes to create a Community Interest Company to keep it running following the end of the Tamara Landscape Partnership scheme.

Visit Tamar Valley is hoping the ferry will collaborate with self-catering accommodation owner Jon Tully who offers guests a tour of Okel Tor Mine, which fills his 16 acre plot.

Mods/Admins: A couple of abbreviations for the list?

Ah but Bob that graffiti is "art", and yet another benefit of our increasingly progressive, diverse society (....or something!) 

Rail — Pushing for Better Services

It was a pleasure to welcome local rail campaigners from Bradford on Avon, Devizes and Melksham, alongside colleagues from Wiltshire Council, to a parliamentary drop-in last week with industry specialists from GWR and Network Rail.
 
I took the opportunity to raise the Devizes Gateway station project directly with Network Rail’s Industry Programme Director for the Western Route, ensuring it remains firmly on the agenda of senior rail leaders.
 
A key part of this is capacity at Westbury, which is crucial to delivering a potential Westbury to Paddington service that could include a stop at Devizes. I was encouraged to hear that recent technical work confirms both the feasibility and strong strategic case for reinstating the disused platform there.
 
While the Department for Transport is not currently supporting the scheme, Network Rail indicated they would be open to exploring the use of underspend from other regional projects to help progress these improvements.
 
Wiltshire Council will also play a vital role in developing the business case, and I will continue working closely with them to help move the project forward.
 
We also discussed services through Melksham, where even modest timetable changes could significantly improve connectivity  particularly by strengthening links at Chippenham and Trowbridge. Looking further ahead, more substantial upgrades such as line-speed improvements and a passing loop could transform both the frequency and reliability of services.
 
A huge thank you to our local campaigners and transport experts for their tireless work. I will continue supporting them as we push for the better rail services our communities deserve.

A new overnight train service to and from Gatwick Airport will begin operating for the summer.

Great Western Railway (GWR) said services between the airport and Reading, via Redhill, Reigate, Dorking and Guildford, would begin operating from 6 June.

The service will operate for 12 weeks on a trial basis, with two services from Reading to Gatwick and three return services every Saturday morning, plus one service from Reading and two from Gatwick every Monday morning.

The trains will run down the North Downs line, which has been closed on multiple occasions over the last few years so maintenance can take place.

Currently, GWR services only run between 04:30 and 23:30, meaning passengers with early departures or late arrivals which make up over 20% of Gatwick's daily traffic are not able to reach the airport by rail from the west.

The operator said it would assess how popular the services were and would consider if overnight services on a longer term basis were possible.