Easter Sunday Bus Usage

[s94]

It's that funny day of the year again with most places closed yet public transport running near enough normal services. Despite it being the quietest day of the year except Christmas Day.

How busy are your local services today? Are Sunday frequencies justified?

Still seems ever so weird to me that you get a normal service on Easter Sunday yet in Boxing Day when it is busier there is less of a service (although improving in recent years).

Should Easter Sunday have a Boxing Day or less style service instead?

Happy Easter by the way!

[Gareth]

The buses I used and saw today had near enough normal Sunday passenger levels. Easter is the day that everyone seems to forget that everywhere is closed. I saw so many fed up looking people on my way walking through town earlier.

[Ally]

I always assumed it was quiet because nobody actually had a clue that buses ran on Easter Sunday, despite the fact they have pretty much since Sunday trading was made legal!

All I heard over and over all day on Thursday was "Are buses running tomorrow?" and "Is it Sunday service tomorrow?". You would have thought with all the notices and the fact it's been the same every year since the bubonic plague that people would have realised by now! Then again, you could have "51 Walsall via Go F**k Yourself" in big letters on a bright orange LED blind and nobody would notice it all day long :P

I think the passenger useage decrease would probably depend on what areas the route serves, more open shops would equal a lesser drop in passenger numbers I imagine. I remember the Coventry 19X service I was on on a New Year's Day was a full standing load on an evening return journey to Tile Hill South, people getting in on the sales, whereas there being not so much in the way of sales on Easter Sunday, it's pretty much your bog standard Sunday.

[the trainbasher]

Personally I'm of the opinion where all bank holidays (bar good Friday) should have a FULL Sunday service (Good Friday should have a full service!)

That includes Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

This country needs to get with the times and understand that with today's socially diverse culture that we have including family's that have split up and the like and the downturn in car ownership amongst 20somethings and senior citizens that public transport needs to embrace the change or get left behind.

[Stuharris 6360]

Personally I'm of the opinion where all bank holidays (bar good Friday) should have a FULL Sunday service (Good Friday should have a full service!)

That includes Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

This country needs to get with the times and understand that with today's socially diverse culture that we have including family's that have split up and the like and the downturn in car ownership amongst 20somethings and senior citizens that public transport needs to embrace the change or get left behind.

And who would pay for all this?

[the trainbasher]

And who would pay for all this?

The core routes would more than likely be able to cross subsidise some, with the current tendered journeys being as they are.

[Trident 4194]

Complety disagree...this is a Christian country and we should observe Christian holidays, really hope there will never be bus services on Christmas day.

On the subject of Easter there are way too many buses out today they all seem to be running around empty.

I totally agree with matt, Christmas is the time for families and spending time with one another

[Stu]

The buses I used and saw today had near enough normal Sunday passenger levels. Easter is the day that everyone seems to forget that everywhere is closed. I saw so many fed up looking people on my way walking through town earlier.

Only big stores will be closed, plenty of smaller independent stores can open if they want. But it's not just about shopping, people use buses for other reasons too.

[BU07 LGO]

Of the trips I drove today id say there was quite a few passengers, but no other traffic if that makes sense. Seemed to be mainly families with young children and a fair few oap's

[Trident 4194]

Of the trips I drove today id say there was quite a few passengers, but no other traffic if that makes sense. Seemed to be mainly families with young children and a fair few oap's

Sorry for going off topic, what operator do you drive for?

[BU07 LGO]

Sorry for going off topic, what operator do you drive for?

Nxwm, only started last month at WA

[Bryan]

Personally I'm of the opinion where all bank holidays (bar good Friday) should have a FULL Sunday service (Good Friday should have a full service!)

That includes Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

This country needs to get with the times and understand that with today's socially diverse culture that we have including family's that have split up and the like and the downturn in car ownership amongst 20somethings and senior citizens that public transport needs to embrace the change or get left behind.

I would agree, times have changed and the UK needs to accept this. Although not religious myself, many people would like to visit relatives if they could on these days by public transport. Why deprive them of that? I'm sure many companies could get drivers to work voluntarily on days like this.

A few years ago I was in Germany on Christmas Day, in a small town, which had a bus service on that day.

[Gareth]

Yes, Christmas is a time for families, but one could argue that buses would be needed to help families spend time together. I'm sure there would be enough drivers to volunteer working a limited service. Some people don't have family or don't like Christmas, get lonely etc. I used to love working Christmas Day when I worked in hotels and restaurants. Such a nice atmosphere.

[Stuharris 6360]

Yes, Christmas is a time for families, but one could argue that buses would be needed to help families spend time together. I'm sure there would be enough drivers to volunteer working a limited service. Some people don't have family or don't like Christmas, get lonely etc. I used to love working Christmas Day when I worked in hotels and restaurants. Such a nice atmosphere.

But what fares would you charge, surely you would need to charge a premium fare just to recoup the expenses incurred, for example £10 for a single journey, no passes accepted!

[karl724223]

No Xmas day
No Boxing Day
Bank holidays finish at 10 pm except main road routes like the 9