There are some people who routinely drive simply because they've never known anything else. And then when they try public transport, go in with preconceived ideas and foregone conclusions about the experience.
And then they try the bus (or train, in some cases) and find those ideas are, by and large, correctly held.
Buses in Milton Keynes, in no particular order:
- Are infrequent except on a few core routes, and keep retrenching;
- Are incredibly slow. With the Redways cycling is usually at least the same speed if not quicker, and far more pleasant than on-road - and this is despite an infrastructure that allows for high speed running on most routes;
- Are often late, mainly due to the Council's imbecilic redesign of the railway station frontage a few years ago (amusingly, like a certain TOC's seating, this was another one of those consultations where a preferred option was identified and the Council went with their own idea which was never going to work);
- Are in poor condition inside and out, with torn seats and damaged panels abounding;
- Are noisy and ride roughly;
- Smell musty and damp in winter because bus companies won't pay to fit proper ventilation and double glazing as fitted to most European buses;
- Are cramped with poor seat width and legroom;
- Often contain other passengers who are, shall we say, a bit rough. This doesn't make me feel physically threatened as I am pretty massive, but to others it may well do.
About the only good thing about them is the staff and the price, if using a period season ticket.
On the other hand, if your first bus experience is the X5 to Oxford/Cambridge, or one of Transdev's routes around York, your impression may be rather different - but
all buses should be like these premium offerings, and in fact almost none are.
