Spartacus

Well it won't be brewdog BBC News - Bars close and hundreds lose jobs as US firm buys Brewdog in £33m deal https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c05v0p1d0peo

That doesn't help those on a bus, trying to get somewhere. It just makes everyone groan and mumble. The 15 minutes last week was caused, according to the driver, by him running exactly to time but the bus behind was cancelled so the controller wanted to reduce the gap. Mad thing was the bus was only 7 stops from the terminus, so why not wait till then to regulate it?

I am amused by the BBC article today that TfL are spending £20 million to encourage more bus usage due to falling numbers. BBC News - Sir Sadiq Khan spends £20m to encourage more bus trips - BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx24j119d3mo For £20, I can tell him the issues (and for £50 how to fix them) 1. Bus speeds are slower than ever, primarily caused by reducing the width of roads. This is like fatty deposits in your arteries, the narrower the route, the more congested it will become. 2. Routes are being cut, changed or rerouted. This doesn't always allow passengers to get to their destination as quickly or as easy as before the changes so they may look for alternatives (no 40 is a prime example) 3. The damned "regulating the service" shinagans this has become the bain of passengers journeys, last week, in the morning rush hour, the driver had to tell people that it was a 15 minute wait. Not great for getting anywhere (same applies for early terminations or being made to transfer) 4. EBikes (not a moan) people are choosing to use them over walking or bus journeys. They don't work for all but short hops for the physically healthy rather than the bus are changing habits. (For now) 5. Central London protests, whilst people have the right to protest, central London from the SE becomes virtually impossible to get to on Saturdays. 6. The obvious one, working patterns have changed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are now the busy bus days. Will throwing money at "encouraging" people to use the bus work ? Or do some fundamental issues need to be resolved first ?

I think this may be the song for today

Aten't they already running Southwark?

Interesting discussion point @Moovart, should they wait till the next election or should it trigger an immediate by-election so the post is not left empty ? Your concept is logical and may have the added effect of swaps, lke the Premier league, only happening in a defined transfer window just before each election.

Whilst its not local, the overnight results in the Gorton and Denton by election, a Labour stronghold for the last century, does raise the question of can similar happen elsewhere in the local elections in May. Maybe he was right to jump from what he sees as a sinking ship bit the question is which party will be locally strongest after May ?

Loving the arm chair speculation on here Blimey how long before this gets spun out to be a drug dealer welding a sawn off whilst driving away from a smash and grab at the coop cash machine flipped his car and landed on a bollard type post Where's the green cross code man when you need him ?

I guess, in a few weeks we will see if he is still a councillor or goes back to teaching 🤔

Thanks CHAV GPT, is there anything you don't know 😂

That is assuming the traveller isn't in a wheelchair or has other mobility requirements which requires assistance getting on and off a train, whereas a bus simply extends the ramp and makes it a lot more convenient for the traveller at both ends.

Or maybe let @malumbu come round and test it for you, thus potentially getting two birds with one stone 🤣

If I was cynical, I would say that he has jumped ship before the May elections where Labour councils across the country are in fear of a blood bath

It is looking like we will.get an increase of 4.99% by Southwark plus the additional increase of £20.13 by the GLA https://opencouncil.network/meetings/96736 Whilst there are compelling reasons that councils need more funding, it still is a painful increase whilst we are still in the cost of living crisis, unemployment is rising and other factors.

Define unnecessary What may seem unnecessary to you could be critical to how others get around Looking through your rose coloured cycling glasses ignores what for some are necessary journeys Therefore please define unnecessary talung into account other peoples needs.