Norwich drivers asked to take the bus

Norwich has been selected as a pilot for a nationwide scheme to get people to swap one in every 25 journeys from their car to the bus … To help make the vision a reality, a million free bus trips are being given away nationally to get car drivers on board.

I know what the bus is like, thanks, and a free bus journey is not going to change my mind. It’s going to help out people who were going to take the bus anyway.

Just one double-decker bus can take 75 cars off the road.

Yes, if it’s full, if you’re under 5’6” tall or willing to have both legs or your head amputated, if you want to sit next to a soap dodger or on the previous soap dodger’s seat crud, if you want to catch or spread the latest flu virus, if you want to arrive an hour later or leave an hour earlier than your friends, and you really like to ignore your comfortable, convenient, self-controlled seat/radio/ventilation/heating/aircon equipped, already budgeted car sitting at home.

The millions spent on this campaign might be better spent, say, hiring some people who hate buses to design a bus service they would use.

Giving away free tickets is throwing the money into the wind.