Public transport woes

Seeing a lot of people ‘hating’ on the current Bee Network public transport system, which Labour mayor Andy Burnham is overseeing.

It’s frustrating, because it seems people complaining are choosing to make their complaints political, rather than rational. I don’t ever remember a time when Greater Manchester’s public transport system ran flawlessly. When I used to get buses to college twenty years ago, they would frequently fail to turn up. When I used to try and get home from my partner’s house late at night, I’d frequently be sat in the dark at a bus stop only for the last bus to not turn up, or to drive past me. I learned that I should never rely on public transport with no backup plan, and that’s the approach I’ve had ever since. The point is, these issues have always existed, and I don’t understand why people are choosing to make out like this is a new issue.

The Bee Network plan is hugely ambitious. It’s desperately needed for the future of the area. It’s inevitable that there will be teething problems, and that some drivers will let standards slip. This is unfortunate, and frustrating, but it’s not a new thing. People should always have a backup plan in place. A spare twenty in their wallet for a taxi, etc. I wish people would direct their anger at the situation rather than making it an attack on the politics of the ambition. It just comes across as irrational and discredits the complaint.