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The
young people of today need independence, and to a large extent they
are allowed it.
Almost
all teenagers I know are allowed into Gloucester, even from where
we live about 13 miles from the city.
Often
parents' plans do not coincide with ours, and we have to use public
transport.
But
just how good is this service? Does it meet the needs of the new
generation of independent teenagers?
Well,
as an easy method to get into Gloucester, the train service is a
complete failure. For a start, the station is a mile outside my
town, meaning a long walk. Secondly, the odds of the one train every
hour being on time and not cancelled are minimal.
The
one time the train cannot seem to arrive is the one time its due.
Furthermore, the state of the majority of the trains in my experience
is shabby at best.
Torn
and stained fabric covers the uncomfortable metal chairs, and doesn't
draw appeal to the service that already costs more than a bus.
Are
the Buses Better?
Buses
are often in a similar state of ill-keep, although at least these
run frequently and on time. The bus service in Gloucestershire is
the staple public transport for teenagers. This is because they
are cheap and easy to use.
Yet
buses do take roundabout routes to the city centre, and this increases
the journey time dramatically. For example, the number 91 bus to
Dursley would take about 40 minutes on a Saturday, but this is increased
by at least ten minutes by going around the suburbs. This is a 25%
increase in every journey time.
 Torn
and stained fabric covers the uncomfortable metal chairs...
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| Ed
Leighton |
Perhaps
the answer to this would be to have an additional bus service for
the suburbs. This would increase the amount of buses from there
to the city, and also reduce the journey time from town such as
Dursley.
This
may well encourage commuters to use buses on a daily basis, because
few people do this at the moment.
Inter-Council
Cooperation
Also,
there is a failing in the transport links to other cities such as
Bristol. Because Bristol is in a different transport juristiction
(South Gloucestershire) it is not covered by the Gloucestershire
bus companies.
To
travel from Dursley to Bristol, you have to go to Thornbury and
then out again. With a little more coordination between the different
transport departments, and an extra stop on the bus routes at Dursley,
this situation could be rectified.
Teenagers
today want to go shopping, or to watch films. This is made possible
by the public transports.
Furthermore,
with the government pushing public transport as a solution to congestion
and to the environmental issues it causes, it is in their interests
that it runs as efficiently as possible.
This
article contains user-generated content (ie external contribution)
expressing a personal opinion, not the views of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Gloucestershire.
Article
by Ed Leighton
If
you would like to comment on this story get in touch at gloucestershire@bbc.co.uk
or have your say on our messageboard
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Young
people rely a lot on public transport. But how effective are the services
on offer? Fifteen-year-old Ed Leighton thinks they could be improved.
