Free bus travel across Southampton this weekend (From Daily Echo)

What a good idea!! they should do this more often! Not that I will be venturing into town at a weekend, as I have the opportunity to go when it's less busy during the week but great for those who have to travel into work, have to shop at a weekend etc :) something positive for local residents!

Excellent idea......what a refreshing initiative from the Council Tax Paying residents of Southampton.....ooop
s sorry...

While not objecting to this, I must ask was it not the Tories who privatised the bus services run by local councils, which used to provide reasonably cheap form of democratically accountable transport that most people used it and left the cars behind?
Yes this is step in the right direction but is also proof of hypocrisy by Conservatives who used to put blocks upon every effort of old Labour to help Council owned bus company, which used to provide better cheaper and more frequent reliable bus service in the city than the current private undertakings.

So the council are to spend £38,000 on free bus travel , and to encourage people to walk rather than use their cars so that they can trip over the worn out pavements the council cannot afford to fix...! is it me ?

furnitureman wrote:
So the council are to spend £38,000 on free bus travel , and to encourage people to walk rather than use their cars so that they can trip over the worn out pavements the council cannot afford to fix...! is it me ?

(-:

Nice gimmick, free buses for the poor cruise passengers, who can't the bus fare, just for good measure will let the residents go free as well. I'm sure the cruise passengers will enjoy the sight's of Southampton, on us the council taxpayers.

Parmy - give it a rest, will you! Always trying to score cheap anti-Tory points. You're a dinosaur and nobody takes you seriously anymore.

Paramjit
This is not about scoring points. Its an attempt to do something proactive about the expected traffic nightmare that will result from the liners being in port over the bank holiday weekend. Your post ignores the story completly in order to make some random political point - as do most of your posts - . Will it work? that remains to be seen but at least give them some credit for doing something. By the way funding will not come from local taxpayers. SaintsMike how many cruise passengers do you realy expect to get a bus to the ship? most will arrive by taxi - the ones that can find there way there.

Saints Mike wrote:
Nice gimmick, free buses for the poor cruise passengers, who can't the bus fare, just for good measure will let the residents go free as well. I'm sure the cruise passengers will enjoy the sight's of Southampton, on us the council taxpayers.

You seem to have missed the point, Mike. The free bus travel is not directly for the benefit of the cruise passengers, but is primarily to encourage residents to leave their cars at home. The alternative is likely to be gridlock, if the residents and all the traffic genereated by the crusie ships travel by car to and through the city centre. The port and cruises bring a lot of money to the city and the City Council would seem to be taking a sensible approach to mitigate against high traffic levels. I agree that it seems expensive, but many people do not appreciate the cost of providing bus services and the benefits that they bring to the city day in, day out. Who knows, some people might take a bus for teh first time in years and realise that its actually a good way to travel into the City. Are you going to try it?

s-w: them-bank - very droll!

Here in Perth down-under. We have had free city bus service for many years. I think it started about 1978, & was then called The city clipper. Since then the name has changed to CAT Bus. Albeit, the car driver is hit heavily in the pocket for parking outside the Perth central business district. I believe all Australian Capital Cities have this service.

full smelly buses....think i'll take the car :-)

Good idea but showing a bus in your advert heading for Sholing/Weston is going to put people off!!

I've known Parmy for years,He's always jumping up and down about something.
The rest of the people in this City I by and large don't know.
Please explain to me,why is it you all seem to find something to whinge about? Free Buses,what more do you want? Art pictures that never see the light of day.How many of you have ever tried to see these pictures? Sell the ones that you are not interested in and spend the money on something people might be interested in.A new Ice Rink even?

TrueBlue OZ wrote:
Here in Perth down-under. We have had free city bus service for many years. I think it started about 1978, & was then called The city clipper. Since then the name has changed to CAT Bus. Albeit, the car driver is hit heavily in the pocket for parking outside the Perth central business district. I believe all Australian Capital Cities have this service.

There are some free bus services here too, into the city centre from the station and Red Funnel terminals....

I agree, this isn't primarily for cruise ship passengers (perhaps for crew though?) but to encourage residents to bring fewer cars into the city centre. Whilst it may be a bit of a nuisance traffic-wise, 9 cruise ships will bring money into our local economy, taxis, restaurants, shops, pubs etc. I'm not this Council's biggest fan but credit where credit is due - whoever is the majority party!

Saints Mike wrote:
Nice gimmick, free buses for the poor cruise passengers, who can't the bus fare, just for good measure will let the residents go free as well. I'm sure the cruise passengers will enjoy the sight's of Southampton, on us the council taxpayers.

Incorrect.

The council wants to keep the plebs of the street so they are nice and clear for the Cruise Passengers.

They are not free to residence of Southampton who are paying for them though their council Tax.

Of course 38k could not have been put towards a Christmas tree and decorations.

If the council seriously wanted to reduce City Traffic on a permanent basis surly a reasonable park and ride system would have been implemented by now.

Paramjit Bahia is quite right our bus service is shocking compared to a pre-privatised operation.

I used to get buses frequently, but stopped when I was unable to get a bus to Mansbridge outside of University term time.

Another example is that my Mother who (who still lives in Mansbridge(65+ therefore free buspass)) no longer shops in Bitterne because she needs to get at least 2 buses to get there.

Council: Empty my bins (please start collecting my glass!) and leave the rest to those that actually have an influence on local life

Jesus_02 wrote:
If the council seriously wanted to reduce City Traffic on a permanent basis surly a reasonable park and ride system would have been implemented by now.

Paramjit Bahia is quite right our bus service is shocking compared to a pre-privatised operation.

I used to get buses frequently, but stopped when I was unable to get a bus to Mansbridge outside of University term time.

Another example is that my Mother who (who still lives in Mansbridge(65+ therefore free buspass)) no longer shops in Bitterne because she needs to get at least 2 buses to get there.

Council: Empty my bins (please start collecting my glass!) and leave the rest to those that actually have an influence on local life

Whereabouts in Freemantle are you? there are plenty of Council provided bottle banks for you to use! I manage it and have a lot as I have four children, one of whom has epilepsy medicine in glass bottles (not to mention all my empty vodka and wine bottles of course ;) !

Seems we're not happy in this city unless we're whingeing about something! Personally, I prefer the glass half full approach and having a smile on my face :D

reality man,the front page of my copyof tonight's Echo shows a bus route 8,Sholing,City Centre.Is that not where people would want to go?

Why would anybody want to go to Southampton these days? I prefer to shop in Eastleigh or Fareham.

Why would anybody want to go to Southampton these days? I prefer to shop in Eastleigh or Fareham.

James May,
Please read properly before suggesting that my post ‘has ignored the story completely’.
I have very clearly stated that I am ‘not objecting to this’ and also ‘yes it is a step in the right direction’.
Although I am allergic to Conservatives, as a socialist I have given them the credit when they deserved.
In democratic society political decisions affect our lives, so what’s wrong with expressing political views?
I believe in proper public transport, have spent many years of my life in it from top to bottom i.e. I started as bus conductor and finished as Chairman of the company. So with experience I am fully aware of the roles played by various political interests, which have destroyed the standard of bus services. So if telling the truth and pointing the finger at the culprits is a crime, I am proud for committing it.
Jesus-02 has rightly exposed the plight of many people by telling what kind of lousy bus service his mother in Mansbridge gets. Sadly these kinds of scenarios exist all over the place, where privatised transport operators have removed the services causing hardship to many people.
All this mess is has been created by Freedman’s followers the Conservatives, and right wing opportunists of New Labour who failed to reverse Tory policies. So hardly surprising that when reminded their nameless and faceless fans get rattled. As they say in Jamaica, ‘if you throw a stone in pig sty one that screams has been hit.’ Obviously this old socialist keep on hitting few of them.

freemantlegirl2 wrote:

Jesus_02 wrote: If the council seriously wanted to reduce City Traffic on a permanent basis surly a reasonable park and ride system would have been implemented by now. Paramjit Bahia is quite right our bus service is shocking compared to a pre-privatised operation. I used to get buses frequently, but stopped when I was unable to get a bus to Mansbridge outside of University term time. Another example is that my Mother who (who still lives in Mansbridge(65+ therefore free buspass)) no longer shops in Bitterne because she needs to get at least 2 buses to get there. Council: Empty my bins (please start collecting my glass!) and leave the rest to those that actually have an influence on local life

Whereabouts in Freemantle are you? there are plenty of Council provided bottle banks for you to use! I manage it and have a lot as I have four children, one of whom has epilepsy medicine in glass bottles (not to mention all my empty vodka and wine bottles of course ;) ! Seems we're not happy in this city unless we're whingeing about something! Personally, I prefer the glass half full approach and having a smile on my face :D

Firgrove - The one at the White Heart has been removed so I use the one by Sainsburys at the other end of Shirley.

I dont mind the walk TBH but they regularly become over full and people tend to leave plastic bags next to them full of broken glass and stale alcohol .

I have friends in Winchester and Basingstoke that have containers that are collected with their other waiste they also have separates for plastic and paper.

It just seems more organised

How typical.

The council does something right and people moan.

Paramjit
I take it form your reply that you were one of the original city bus employees? if so did you participate in the takeover and subsequent sale of the company to first bus and by doing so profit from it?. So not all bad for everyone eh?
i accept that i made a mistake in suggesting you had not read the article - you had and rereading your post shows this quite clearly. But answer me this if you were still in power what would you have done in this situation. It seems to me that the council whatever its political makeup would have been wrong whatever it did or didnt do about the upcoming weekend.

Rather than spend all our money (tax payers) that is on Paying bus companies to give free travel while there are NINE CRUISE SHIPS in port...

Why not simple do something that costs nothing, saving the money to put back into the Community in a better way. ?

Just make by-laws that don't allow more than 2 or 3 Cruise ships in port during any 48 hour period.

This then shifts the resposiblity of planning and expenses on to the Cruise Operators who will be making all this money from the passengers. After all they can afford to spend it.

By also stopping such silly planning of multiple ships in port, there will not be so many people in the Town Centre (ie. crews) stopping and hindering the locals from going about their weekly shopping too.

Bus Driver,
Interesting idea. Perhaps similar Bye Laws could be introduced to limit amount of shops and other City Centre commercial activities opening on certain days. This would reduce road traffic and perhaps allow shops in Bitterne/Portswood/S
hirley etc to benefit from increased local patronage.
Meanwhile it would be interesting to learn how the cruise companies (who are approached on a regular basis by other UK and Foreign ports for their business) take to any restriction of their activity through Southampton.

bring back the trams and the waterfront train station... they can move more people.

sotonbusdriver wrote:
Rather than spend all our money (tax payers) that is on Paying bus companies to give free travel while there are NINE CRUISE SHIPS in port... Why not simple do something that costs nothing, saving the money to put back into the Community in a better way. ? Just make by-laws that don't allow more than 2 or 3 Cruise ships in port during any 48 hour period. This then shifts the resposiblity of planning and expenses on to the Cruise Operators who will be making all this money from the passengers. After all they can afford to spend it. By also stopping such silly planning of multiple ships in port, there will not be so many people in the Town Centre (ie. crews) stopping and hindering the locals from going about their weekly shopping too.

Well I know somebody would take leave of their senses.

Why should you restrict cruise ships? Do you realise that 1,000 plus people work at the Carnival office down the road, not to mention those at the port.

If there are less ships here they will have to call at other ports which means that people will have to work in other cities.

So to help your weekly shopping you want people to be made redudant or forced to move elsewhere.

How old are you exactly as the cruise ships have been here for years?

Also, cruise operators employ local people. Do you want local people fired?

So say they can afford it? Says who?

im with you zeo....
people have forgotten what the docks used to be like.
my mother in law used to tell stories about how she worked in the docks in the 60's in a little kiosk and how wonderful it was because there was always things going on down there,the hustle and bustle of the big liners etc,it was wonderful aparently.
so i will be welcoming this weekend and think everyone should stop moaning and complaining as it's going to be good for the economy and good for southampton too.
so bring it on i say...
oh and before i forget, Reality-man where are you from you must live in millbrook or lordshill only someone from there would make a comment like that....

Reality-man, Southampton says...
3:38pm Wed 26 Aug 09

Good idea but showing a bus in your advert heading for Sholing/Weston is going to put people off!!
all im going to say to you is "biggeted and obtuse".

good evening everyone.

TheRealDeal wrote:
full smelly buses....think i'll take the car :-)

A selfless act on your part to make a contribution to leaving your car at home. Just for you, should you take the bus, I will apply some of my apple wipes underarm; cannot have your sensitive nose twitching in any way whatsoever, can we?

col123 wrote:
reality man,the front page of my copyof tonight's Echo shows a bus route 8,Sholing,City Centre.Is that not where people would want to go?

The bus route number 8 does not go to Sholing; it goes from Lords Hill to Townhill Park.

Take a bus sometime instead of imagining what the routes might be.

Donald2000, Southampton says...
9:59pm Wed 26 Aug 09

col123 wrote:
reality man,the front page of my copyof tonight's Echo shows a bus route 8,Sholing,City Centre.Is that not where people would want to go?
The bus route number 8 does not go to Sholing; it goes from Lords Hill to Townhill Park.

Take a bus sometime instead of imagining what the routes might be.

your very correct the no 8 bus does infact not go to sholing but the 6 does and that was the bus on the picture above,sorry to be pedantic.

Paramjit,
You are doing it again!
Why, whenever the words Tory and Council are put together, do you have to start your rantings?
For the last time, we are not interested in your lefty opinions! This is a newspaper website, not a political platform for your extremist views..... You are batting on the wrong side anyway. It will be another 100 years before your lefty mates get back in here, based on their last efforts. Why not move to that place down the M27?

southampton liza wrote:
Donald2000, Southampton says... 9:59pm Wed 26 Aug 09 col123 wrote: reality man,the front page of my copyof tonight's Echo shows a bus route 8,Sholing,City Centre.Is that not where people would want to go? The bus route number 8 does not go to Sholing; it goes from Lords Hill to Townhill Park. Take a bus sometime instead of imagining what the routes might be. your very correct the no 8 bus does infact not go to sholing but the 6 does and that was the bus on the picture above,sorry to be pedantic.

You are also correct and many thanks.

Its nice to see that some writers in this column do actually take buses and some just write that people who take buses are smelly and are part of some perceived underclass. I hope that the people who continue to use their cars enjoy paying £1.09 per litre for the privilege...te he.

Donald2000 wrote:

southampton liza wrote: Donald2000, Southampton says... 9:59pm Wed 26 Aug 09 col123 wrote: reality man,the front page of my copyof tonight's Echo shows a bus route 8,Sholing,City Centre.Is that not where people would want to go? The bus route number 8 does not go to Sholing; it goes from Lords Hill to Townhill Park. Take a bus sometime instead of imagining what the routes might be. your very correct the no 8 bus does infact not go to sholing but the 6 does and that was the bus on the picture above,sorry to be pedantic.

You are also correct and many thanks. Its nice to see that some writers in this column do actually take buses and some just write that people who take buses are smelly and are part of some perceived underclass. I hope that the people who continue to use their cars enjoy paying £1.09 per litre for the privilege...te he.

Actually the 6 stopped running about a year ago - but I guess the Echo can't afford to go out and take new pictures all the time...

And to get back to topic, I think its a great idea, quite a few people have said they'll try the bus again this weekend

Maybe West Quay could stump up the money the weekend before Xmas too to spread some festive cheer!

And everyone... get on those buses this weekend and keep em busy (can you tell I have the weekend off!!)

Why oh why must you put your boring one-sided political spin on every article written on the Echo?

You risk being seen as a laughable buffoon and someone who cannot be taken seriously.

Donald2000 wrote:

southampton liza wrote:
Donald2000, Southampton says... 9:59pm Wed 26 Aug 09 col123 wrote: reality man,the front page of my copyof tonight's Echo shows a bus route 8,Sholing,City Centre.Is that not where people would want to go? The bus route number 8 does not go to Sholing; it goes from Lords Hill to Townhill Park. Take a bus sometime instead of imagining what the routes might be. your very correct the no 8 bus does infact not go to sholing but the 6 does and that was the bus on the picture above,sorry to be pedantic.

You are also correct and many thanks.

Its nice to see that some writers in this column do actually take buses and some just write that people who take buses are smelly and are part of some perceived underclass. I hope that the people who continue to use their cars enjoy paying £1.09 per litre for the privilege...te he.

But buses ARE used by the smelly underclass! I'll stick with sitting in my car in a traffic jam any day, rather than put up with loud-mouthed chavs and their snotty kids displaying the worse excesses of behaviour in public. te he

clausentum wrote:
Why oh why must you put your boring one-sided political spin on every article written on the Echo?

You risk being seen as a laughable buffoon and someone who cannot be taken seriously.

Opps. So that the innocent don't get offended - - - this comment was intended for Paramjit.

Freemantlegril2
(perhaps for crew though?) the crew have their own buses which take them from dockside to castle way marchwood has the contact

as to some of the other comments its not even worth making points as the people who have made them will just stick to their views, i'm lucky enouth to be able to walk into city centre so unless its rain won't use the bus leaving room for all those who want to try riding a bus

James May For PM wrote:
Paramjit I take it form your reply that you were one of the original city bus employees? if so did you participate in the takeover and subsequent sale of the company to first bus and by doing so profit from it?. So not all bad for everyone eh? i accept that i made a mistake in suggesting you had not read the article - you had and rereading your post shows this quite clearly. But answer me this if you were still in power what would you have done in this situation. It seems to me that the council whatever its political makeup would have been wrong whatever it did or didnt do about the upcoming weekend.

James May
First let us be clear that I do agree with Council’s decision to subsidise the bus service, I wish they do it on permanent basis, which will solve lots of traffic problems, will be good for environment, and pay indirect dividends by reducing cost of road repairs.
What could have been done by other parties? I am not member of New Labour and have never trusted the Lib-Dems. Have no access to their policy making so I do not know what they would have done. But if I have the power, which is not likely because I gave up active politics long time ago, I would still argue for public transport to be run by the council as a service department. I have always held that view and now we do know that it was the best way.
When Bus Company was run as arms length company owned by the Council, we proved that low fares reliable and frequent bus services can even operate the service without subsidies.
Regarding sale of the Council owned bus company and making money: NO personally I did not gain even a single penny out of it. In fact all the time I was director and Chairman of the board I did not even claim for my bus fare to the meetings etc. It was done because of commitment to my previous mates, because thanks to them I had the best time of my life while working as bus driver and they had democratically put their trust in me as their union rep.
Personally I was opposed to the sale of the company, but sadly by that time Alan Whitehead, who was really committed to bus services, had come off the Council and the new leadership of Labour Group did not support my stand. So the Council sold the company to the workers. It is very sad that few years later against the advice of their union workers became greedy (standard scenario with working people when it comes to greed!) and they sold it to First Group. But as we are aware now many of them are regretting that decision and we the people are missing on good quality service.
Finally I assure you that I have my own political commitments, but I will always appreciate whoever supports proper public transport, and with my experience I am aware that there are individuals in all the parties who would like to do that sane thing, but then they also have to follow their party’s discipline and dogmas, thankfully I do not have to, so can speak my mind.
Kind regards

clausentum wrote:

Donald2000 wrote:

southampton liza wrote: Donald2000, Southampton says... 9:59pm Wed 26 Aug 09 col123 wrote: reality man,the front page of my copyof tonight's Echo shows a bus route 8,Sholing,City Centre.Is that not where people would want to go? The bus route number 8 does not go to Sholing; it goes from Lords Hill to Townhill Park. Take a bus sometime instead of imagining what the routes might be. your very correct the no 8 bus does infact not go to sholing but the 6 does and that was the bus on the picture above,sorry to be pedantic.

You are also correct and many thanks. Its nice to see that some writers in this column do actually take buses and some just write that people who take buses are smelly and are part of some perceived underclass. I hope that the people who continue to use their cars enjoy paying £1.09 per litre for the privilege...te he.

But buses ARE used by the smelly underclass! I'll stick with sitting in my car in a traffic jam any day, rather than put up with loud-mouthed chavs and their snotty kids displaying the worse excesses of behaviour in public. te he

Not all of us who write on this column are members of the underclass, nor do we smell. A lot of us are highly educated people who do good work in this society and who make a contribution to this city into the bargain. Its prejudiced and bigoted remarks like yours and others which go to make this society a nasty little place. Owning a car does not make you better than anyone else and on the contrary in the wrong hands is 2 tonne of lethal weapon which can be used to destroy people's lives. So on the whole, I think I will stick to going on the bus, if you dont mind.

You really are a mug donald. This all started with you having a pop at my comment re: the picture showing a bus going to sholing/weston. You started spouting on about how the number 8 doesn't go to Sholing when the bus in the picture is a number 6 with SHOLING/WESTON written on the front!!!! You then go on to say how you are highly educated???? Shame you didn't read the story, look at the picture and then read my comments correctly before mugging yourself off. Oh and I too would much rather sit in my X-Type Jag with air con, CD, Sat Nav and leather seats whilst paying £1.09 per litre than travel on a smelly bus. And by the way my employer pays for my fuel so it doesn't actually cost me anything, mainly due to the fact that i am well educated and got a decent job and can read articles and look at pictures correctly!!! Look out for the number 1 bus to Mugsville they're coming to pick you up

Donald2000 wrote:

clausentum wrote:

Donald2000 wrote:

southampton liza wrote: Donald2000, Southampton says... 9:59pm Wed 26 Aug 09 col123 wrote: reality man,the front page of my copyof tonight's Echo shows a bus route 8,Sholing,City Centre.Is that not where people would want to go? The bus route number 8 does not go to Sholing; it goes from Lords Hill to Townhill Park. Take a bus sometime instead of imagining what the routes might be. your very correct the no 8 bus does infact not go to sholing but the 6 does and that was the bus on the picture above,sorry to be pedantic.

You are also correct and many thanks. Its nice to see that some writers in this column do actually take buses and some just write that people who take buses are smelly and are part of some perceived underclass. I hope that the people who continue to use their cars enjoy paying £1.09 per litre for the privilege...te he.

But buses ARE used by the smelly underclass! I'll stick with sitting in my car in a traffic jam any day, rather than put up with loud-mouthed chavs and their snotty kids displaying the worse excesses of behaviour in public. te he

Not all of us who write on this column are members of the underclass, nor do we smell. A lot of us are highly educated people who do good work in this society and who make a contribution to this city into the bargain. Its prejudiced and bigoted remarks like yours and others which go to make this society a nasty little place. Owning a car does not make you better than anyone else and on the contrary in the wrong hands is 2 tonne of lethal weapon which can be used to destroy people's lives. So on the whole, I think I will stick to going on the bus, if you dont mind.

i agree with you just because we choose to take the bus does not make us the under class,its a much more efficient way to get from a to b.
and you get to see the world around you more and meet some interesting people to from all walks of life not just the chavs.
infact i think most chavs these days drive their little chaved up cars so the buses are a much safer and much more enjoyable way to travel.
and a great way to save money,i mean road tax,mot,tax's petrol etc nope not for me i pay for where i want to go and thats the end of it.
i also know lots of people who often catch the bus to town or out of southampton as it is much cheaper and less stressfull than taking the car and they have very good high powered jobs.
and yes it is biggeted people like you clausentum that keep this city down and pollute everything good with your mis-informed and quiet frankly barbaric attitudes.
enjoy your traffic jams this weekend won't you.........!!
ill wave as i speed past you on the bus....

Reality-man wrote:
You really are a mug donald. This all started with you having a pop at my comment re: the picture showing a bus going to sholing/weston. You started spouting on about how the number 8 doesn't go to Sholing when the bus in the picture is a number 6 with SHOLING/WESTON written on the front!!!! You then go on to say how you are highly educated???? Shame you didn't read the story, look at the picture and then read my comments correctly before mugging yourself off. Oh and I too would much rather sit in my X-Type Jag with air con, CD, Sat Nav and leather seats whilst paying £1.09 per litre than travel on a smelly bus. And by the way my employer pays for my fuel so it doesn't actually cost me anything, mainly due to the fact that i am well educated and got a decent job and can read articles and look at pictures correctly!!! Look out for the number 1 bus to Mugsville they're coming to pick you up

Yes, well we can all make mistakes, which I have admitted when I said sorry about misreading the bus picture. So I am now in the picture about the number 6 bus, which we have all now been informed does not run anyway, so its out of date. Thats the Echo's fault, not mine or yours. Can I still assure you that some very nice people travel by bus who are not part of any assumed underclass and a lot of them do a great deal of good work for the city. But congratulations on having a nice job and I am sure no-one begrudges you your nice car either. Thank you.

Absolutely disagree that the council should yet again waste money on this! I thought the council had no funds to spend on anything????

I wonder how many of Southampton's Councillors use the bus daily.

Donald2000 wrote:

Reality-man wrote: You really are a mug donald. This all started with you having a pop at my comment re: the picture showing a bus going to sholing/weston. You started spouting on about how the number 8 doesn't go to Sholing when the bus in the picture is a number 6 with SHOLING/WESTON written on the front!!!! You then go on to say how you are highly educated???? Shame you didn't read the story, look at the picture and then read my comments correctly before mugging yourself off. Oh and I too would much rather sit in my X-Type Jag with air con, CD, Sat Nav and leather seats whilst paying £1.09 per litre than travel on a smelly bus. And by the way my employer pays for my fuel so it doesn't actually cost me anything, mainly due to the fact that i am well educated and got a decent job and can read articles and look at pictures correctly!!! Look out for the number 1 bus to Mugsville they're coming to pick you up

Yes, well we can all make mistakes, which I have admitted when I said sorry about misreading the bus picture. So I am now in the picture about the number 6 bus, which we have all now been informed does not run anyway, so its out of date. Thats the Echo's fault, not mine or yours. Can I still assure you that some very nice people travel by bus who are not part of any assumed underclass and a lot of them do a great deal of good work for the city. But congratulations on having a nice job and I am sure no-one begrudges you your nice car either. Thank you.

To be honest Donald my original comment was only ever meant as a bit of fun re:sholing/weston. I never said anything about people travelling on buses being underclass that was other posters. Thanks for your kind response after my disrespectable second reply....keep on Bussing

My wife and I actually took advantage of this offer (seeing as taxpayers we had funded it!) on Saturday morning to take the free open top bus tour to see the cruise ships. We caught a bus at 08.50 which arrived at Ocean Village at 09.30. There were at leat 500 people in front of us and by 10.00 probably another 250 behind us. At 10.00 the open top bus arrived. Yes, bus in the singular - one of them!!
There was a choice of waiting for the next bus at 11.30 or going home. Choice one wasn't a real option anyway unless you were in the next 50 people in the queue. So, like most others we went home disappointed and annoyed at the waste of £38,000 taxpayers money.In any event there were less people than usual in town and the roads were far from busy plus the car parks were far from full. I guess the huge Echo coverage put many people off. Most people on the bus in were prepared to pay anyway And seemed oblivious of the offer. The bus home was almost empty. Why on earth did the City Counciil waste £38,000 plus huge lost revenue on car parking for the weekend without checking what exactly ABP had organised? All in all, a total shambles which would be almost amusing if it wasn't yours and my money funding this saga!