Free Town and City Buses

[padbus]

I was going to suggest Sidmouth's free summer Hoppa bus but this summer a flat fare of £1 was charged (concessionary passes not accepted). .

 

[Hophead]

My dad tells me that once upon a time in the Soviet Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire, all local buses were free... I'm going to assume that such a policy wasn't a success, or at least wasn't allowed to be!

More accurately, it's not true. Though fares were very cheap indeed (frozen from about 1980, I believe), and it was the intention to eventually abolish fares, but local government reorganisation and deregulation put paid to that (these events were not completely unrelated to local transport policies).

 

[61653 HTAFC]

More accurately, it's not true. Though fares were very cheap indeed (frozen from about 1980, I believe), and it was the intention to eventually abolish fares, but local government reorganisation and deregulation put paid to that (these events were not completely unrelated to local transport policies).

I had my suspicions but he won't hear it!

 

[Adlington]

Żory, a town in Upper Silesia (southern Poland), population 60,000 - about the same as Dewsbury mentioned earlier, has free buses: 7 routes operating within the town limits.

 

[MotCO]

Aren't Traws Cymru buses free at weekends? Does this count?

 

[tbtc]

My dad tells me that once upon a time in the Soviet Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire, all local buses were free... I'm going to assume that such a policy wasn't a success, or at least wasn't allowed to be!

More accurately, it's not true. Though fares were very cheap indeed (frozen from about 1980, I believe), and it was the intention to eventually abolish fares, but local government reorganisation and deregulation put paid to that (these events were not completely unrelated to local transport policies).

I had my suspicions but he won't hear it!

Many fares were 2p or 4p but certainly not free (there was the City Clipper but I don't think even that was free - unlike hte modern "FreeBee" replacement).

One of the arguments about the Sheffield FreeBee was that it was cheaper for the PTE to lay on a free bus predominantly used by OAPs travelling short distances around the city centre than it was to reimburse operators of commercial services when aforementioned old people rode on parallel First/ Stagecoach services. I don't know if this was true or not but that was the tale doing the rounds at the time the PTE found money for it - it'd "save" them money.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

I understand that some American cities operate free in the downtown.

Pretty rare now in places of any great size. Portland and SLC have both axed their free-fare areas, I think.

There's a list at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_...and_cities_with_area-wide_zero-fare_transport .

 

[Adlington]

There's a list at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_...and_cities_with_area-wide_zero-fare_transport .

A remarkably empty list...

 

[Deerfold]

My dad tells me that once upon a time in the Soviet Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire, all local buses were free... I'm going to assume that such a policy wasn't a success, or at least wasn't allowed to be!

I'm not sure they were ever free, generally. Until 1974 they were 10p for adults, 2p for children. There were bendybuses which ran for free as they couldn't initially be put into revenue-earning service until the law was changed.

 

[Deerfold]

A remarkably empty list...

It's not that empty. Have you expanded the towns and cities?

 

[Eyersey468]

Does the free shuttle bus from the Red Jet in Southampton that used to run into the city centre in the early 2000s still run?

 

[DuncanS]

Not UK but Melbourne used to have one and has a free tram.

Free trams in the Melbourne Central Business District - which will get you around the main shopping districts and some of the "touristy" attractions, all trams were free on Christmas Day last year and I made the most of it by going the long way to the beach and then stopping off at Albert Park to walk the Grand Prix circuit on my way back to the hotel.

I seem to recall that the free zone ended a couple of stops before the MCG but the trams were usually that busy I've no idea how anyone checked tickets.

 

[Eyersey468]

There's also a free shuttle bus in Beverley on a Saturday to the new Flemingate shopping centre

 

[Deerfold]

Are we including Free water buses/taxis?

Back to Leeds...

https://www.leedsdock.com/the-voice/leeds-dock-water-taxi/

 

[Mr Manager]

Ipswich has the 37 which was the 38. Town centre to The council headquarters.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Ipswich has the 37 which was the 38. Town centre to The council headquarters.

Does that mean that council tax payers are funding free travel for council HQ employees ?

 

[Mr Manager]

Nope. it is tendered. Paid from the monies the car park at the council headquarter car park generates.

 

[Deerfold]

Nope. it is tendered. Paid from the monies the car park at the council headquarter car park generates.

Looks like it's designed for CC employees to go into town at lunchtime - it runs every 15 minutes, but only from 1200 to 1400 M-F.

It's only useful for people visiting the council so long as they need to be there in a 90 minute window. At lunchtime.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Popping across from the international thread on the subject, there are countries such as Switzerland where free public transport (bus and rail) are funded by way of tourist taxes on accommodation. I think there are parts of the UK where this sort of scheme would work very well indeed - particularly the national parks such as Snowdonia and the Lakes where car journeys cause huge inconvenience and delays, and a tourist tax could fund a much better network, particularly in North Wales where it is really rather patchy. Would probably suit the Isle of Wight well too.

 

[atraindriver]

<deleted>

 

[InspectorBloke]

In Braintree, Essex, Arriva operate a free shuttle between the town centre and Freeport, an out of town shopping centre around a mile or two away.

I believe the shopping centre pays for the bus.

 

[robbob700]

Does the free shuttle bus from the Red Jet in Southampton that used to run into the city centre in the early 2000s still run?

This now charges £2.00 flat fare (for a day ticket) unless you have a through rail ticket to Cowes IOW.

 

[Eyersey468]

This now charges £2.00 flat fare (for a day ticket) unless you have a through rail ticket to Cowes IOW.

Aah right thanks