ANALYSING THE PROS AND CONS OF GOING BY BUS AND GOING BY CAR

Lost Cause: Despite the best, but misguided and inconsiderate intentions of our politicians, buses are never going to be able to replace personal transport in the form of the motorcar. The reasons for this are numerous. The argument in favour of personal transport is substantial, and of course, if it wasn't, everyone would already be using the bus, not through necessity, but through choice.

No Contest! When weighing up the pros and cons, travelling by bus represents a significant waste of people's time when compared to travelling by car. For a start, buses travel very slowly in comparison to cars and there is also the inevitable waiting time involved for the bus to come along, as well as the walking time in getting to and from the nearest bus stops on the route. Buses also have to stop every three to five hundred metres or so and, therefore, people are decelerating and standing still more often, when otherwise they would be in motion and getting where they need to be. This problem is even more compounded now by the fact that the bus driver has to take the fares as people get on the bus whilst it is stationary; a job that used to be done by a conductor with the bus on the move. People also felt safer and more at ease using buses when they had a conductor on board.

Who's Got The Time! By the time all of this is added up with the fact that buses don't always take the most direct route either, the equivalent car journey can take up to four times longer by bus, even if the bus is running on time. In this day and age few people can afford the luxury of wasting time if they don't have to. They are under far too much pressure already administering to the demands of modern day life. Let's face it! When time is money, and both are at a premium, if you can achieve something more comfortably and conveniently in a quarter of the time, it would appear to make perfect sense to do so.

Ordinary People Don't Count! Politicians and members of local government who think that ordinary people should be doing everything on the bus are simply misguided and wrong. The fact is that many politicians and civil servants think that ordinary members of the public do not count and are not entitled to the same privileges as they are, although perhaps they would never admit it. However, our politicians have already created a two-tier system in the health service, a two-tier system in the housing market and with the introduction of bus lanes, congestion charging, and toll roads, etc, are well on their way to creating a two-tier system in transportation.

Protect Our Rights! Others, who think that pollution is a reason for abandoning the car and getting on a bus should try standing behind a bus and breathing in some of the crap that comes out of it. Buses are filthy dirty animals, just like many lorries. However, the pollution problem with cars is not the result of the concept of the car itself, which is a superb and highly efficient idea, but the current method of propulsion, i.e. the internal combustion engine. The inefficiency of the internal combustion engine and the way that our logistics and traffic systems are currently managed (or mismanaged) contribute to an unnecessary amount of additional pollution.

Progress Not Backwards! With some effort in the right places pollution can be radically reduced over the coming years and ultimately eradicated altogether, not by getting rid of the car but by getting rid of the associated problems and managing our affairs more efficiently. In the meantime, while we wait for society to realise some of these facts, we must recognise and protect our right to use personal transport efficiently and effectively and start working towards a realisation that people need their cars. We should accept this fact and work with it and not against it. Remember, progress is not made by going backwards. If you are not a believer in these facts and a supporter of the motorcar (at least in a cleaner form), try reading the following argument and see if you can come up with a better one.

Shall We Get The Bus?	Or Shall We Take The Car?
The bus is slow and inefficient. It may not take the most direct route and it has to keep stopping at bus stops, where it takes additional time for people to get on and off and process their fare	The car is quick and efficient. It will take the most direct route, and does not have to keep stopping, apart from as a result of junctions or congestion at which the bus will also have to stop
People have to wait around in the cold and the rain for the bus to come along	People do not have to wait around in the cold and rain for their car to come along, in fact, they do not have to wait around at all
Buses can often be unreliable and running late, perhaps not even turning up at all	Your car may be unreliable sometimes, but, unless it's been stolen, it will always turn up
Buses do not travel door to door	Your car will always travel door to door
You may have a considerable walk to and from the bus stop in the cold and rain	Any walk in the cold and rain will be a minimum distance
You may have to change buses to get where you need to be	You do not have to change cars to get where you need to be
Buses are expensive to use	Cars are expensive also, but as most people have one already, they are in fact cheaper
Collecting the week's shopping on the bus is not very practical	Collecting the week's shopping in the car is very practical
Collecting D.I.Y. parts, household and larger items on the bus is not practical	Collecting D.I.Y. parts, household and larger items in the car can be done without difficulty
Transporting multiple items or anything larger than a rucksack on the bus is not very practical	Transporting multiple and larger items in the car from door to door can be done with no problem
Buses can be dangerous and intimidating places, especially for women	A person's car is a safe place and not dangerous or intimidating, even for women
On the bus, you may have to share with noisy children, people who are drunk and obnoxious, or sit next to somebody with serious B.O.	In your car you sit in the comfort of your own clean smelling and comfort controlled environment, listening to music of your choice
You are much more likely to pick up colds or flu through being exposed to people sneezing when travelling on the bus	In your car you are not likely to be sneezed upon by anyone other than a partner, family member, or friend, whom you would forgive
You can only travel when the bus is running, i.e. at its convenience	You can travel when you like, i.e. at your own convenience
If you are out late, the bus may not be running anymore	If you are out late, your car will still be there to take you home
Buses do not always go where you want to go	Your car will go anywhere you want to go
Buses do not always run in areas of minimal population	Your car will run anywhere, regardless of population
Buses do not always run more than once or twice a day	Your car will run as many times as you like
Buses do not always run at all times of day and night	Your car will run at anytime of day or night

Vital Importance! The fact is that buses are fine for school children, the elderly, and those who choose not to have a car. Nobody else should be forced to have to use one if they choose not to. Ninety-three percent of adult people have a car, through their own choice. It is about time our local authorities started to realise the vital importance of personal transport and started to accommodate it.

Make Life Impossible! We need to manage our society so as to enable everyone to be able to go about their business expediently and unimpeded. Following a few simple guidelines will make all the difference to our current traffic congestion problems, and for anyone who thinks differently, the answer is not to force the motorist off of the road by making life impossible. That will only make life impossible.

Change Of Direction! What our local authorities have done over recent years has greatly reduced the efficiency and processing power of our road infrastructure. It will take a distinct change of direction and a new understanding if we are going to be able to reintroduce some efficiency, reduce congestion and minimize pollution, and get back to a point where people can operate efficiently and conveniently.

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