The government has promised that all areas of the country will have ‘London style buses’ and has committed funding to support this.
Regional bus nuts are beside themselves. ‘We welcome London style buses,’ said a spokesman, ‘but we hope this is not about insisting that all buses are red.’ He resisted the temptation to say that the new plan was ‘just the ticket’. ‘We must preserve diversity in regional bus colours. And we don’t want those Boris buses. The association is still too painful.’
Homelessness campaigners are looking forward to a comprehensive and countrywide night bus service. This is because the cost of a ‘day-rider’ bus ticket is considerably cheaper than providing a hostel place. Night buses provide homeless people with a great alternative to sleeping in shop doorways, bushes or skips. The buses are warm, fairly quiet (after closing time), and comfortable, although there is a continuing and unresolved issue about toileting facilities.
‘Londoners have it so easy,’ said Jim, a jobbing philosopher who sell his services door to door and who celebrates periods of rough sleeping. ‘There are night buses all through the night. The routes are long and windy and the buses are very slow. You can get on at the start of the route and its two or three hours until you get chucked off. And you can usually get on another bus and keep going. Three bus rides and you’ve had a very solid night’s sleep. When are these new London style buses starting? I bet it’s not for ages.’
image from pixabay
