Town centre decline - the growth of internet shopping is having a massive impact on high street footfall, by as much as 5% a year. It's a massive hit for operators. That's just an average - for every Altrincham with it's food shops with organic hummus and boutiques, there's a Rochdale, dying on its proverbial.
Removal of subsidised services - the usual axing of Sundays and evening services. Now, it's often said that operators fail to account for the evening trade and its impact on daytime services. Well, that's b***ocks of the highest order. They do the maths but if you're running a service for one or two passes and a handful of cash fares, it just will not pay. Who here will spend £30 in the hope of getting £15 back? Not many. Of course, there are plenty of examples where operators will actually carry on running til 8 or 9 because the evening trade of workers finishing and the punters heading into town is sufficient to pay. Then running until 11 is a cost (few passengers) but even after that, the extended opening hours mean that people may not wish to return at 23:10 but much later. There have been instances where operators have taken on Sunday services, often because conversely, Sunday shopping is still a growth area!
Focussing on key corridors - well, you would, wouldn't you. Why would you bust your nuts on a marginal service that has little potential when there are better growth options. In fact, it explains why some of the ridership figures are skewed where you have larger mileage cuts yet lower loss of overall passenger journeys.
Of course, the answer is always to have more money invested in public transport. However, ask 100 people on the street how they would want their money spent and the NHS will invariably win, followed by Social Care and Education. Public Transport will win votes on the select clientele who read and contribute to this message board but not elsewhere. And that is a fact! You may wish our leaders would have the courage to do "the right thing" - well, we have had a mess for long enough and Brexit ain't going to make it any better!
Noting that the arguments I have by-passed are because I agree with you - I think its worth commenting on these others.
Town centre decline: More of an ironic observance. Rochdale and Altrincham have always been poles apart economically, but equally they share one thing. They have always been the two worst "bus territories" in GM. Back in GMT days (way before Metrolink, of course) the depots in the two towns were consistently the worst performers, and it was no surprise that they were amongst the first to close - despite Alty being a nearly new building. This suggests other factors than straight economics at play.
Sunday/evening services: Again these bear closer scrutiny. Yes, these were slashed as a matter of course on 26 October 1986, but for the services left, they then had the additional blow of changes in Licensing hours and the changes in social habits surrounding drinking eg. Heavy taxes on pubs selling a generally well behaved regular adult clientele, whilst a blind eye was turned to local shops selling cheap lager and cider to teenagers. Yes, some will argue the smoking ban had some effect, but that argument is one-sided. Virtually every one I know likes a drink, but virtually no one smokes and those that did, quit many years before 2006. So, for many the smoking ban would make a pub a far MORE attractive environment - and indeed, the same goes for the bus to/from the pub!
The other thing is Sunday trading; Such is the "sheep" mentality of the private sector in this country, that until recently (and based on local hours), I thought the law specified (large) shops could only open between 1100 & 1700. Further, I didn't realise that the "opening hours" actually reffered to the retail tills, not to the shop doors nor to the sale of food and drink.
Point being that both TFGM and commercial Operators act on exactly the same mindset. Thus, tendered services don't start until late Sunday morning with first arrivals in major town centres are often well after 1100. Similarly, Operators of commercial services don't step up service levels - or indeed running times - until around 1030-1100. Thus, if there is no half decent service to get retail workers to work, shoppers to shops or Daytrippers on their way for a reasonable time, they are either going to go by car, or simply stay in.
Key corridors: Too presumptive. Yes, SOME main corridors are more profitable than many suburban services, but this is by no means the rule, particularly if a "key corridor" is automatically the route into the regional centre, rather than to local towns
The trouble with "vox pops" (and as I think I've mentioned elsewhere, I have never been asked my opinion on anything that isn't a straightforward "how do you rate your stay"?) is that apart from them easily being skewed, they are far too simplistic. Tiresome though it is to some, public spending in all sectors is skewed towards London - we've heard all the quotes about Rail investment - but much less publicity is given to the 25-30% per pupil more spent on every London schoolkid or such as the recent revelation that London GPs are getting more money per patient, despite their patients visiting less because they are healthier, due to a younger demographic and having better access (financially and literally) to healthier food etc. Though, apparently rural GPs also get more money - but for slightly different reasons. Point being people want the spending within each service to be prioritised better and obviously "public transport" means completely different things to different people.
I suspect we agree on Brexit, though!
