[foggy_lad]

Originally Posted by parsi

So you're against the idea of merging services in order to provide a better service to te consumer and reduce rural isolation ?

No

If people want to live in the sticks they should make their own arrangements to get their children to school or home-school them!

[parsi]

Originally Posted by foggy_lad

No

If people want to live in the sticks they should make their own arrangements to get their children to school or home-school them!

Ah. Your earlier posts suggested that your objections were based on infection control and child protection issues.

How far from Cork or Dublin do you think we should state that "the sticks" begin ? Would - for instance - Carlow be considered to be the sticks in terms of travelling to Dublin ?

[munchkin_utd]

the Deloitte report into efficiencies in Bus Eireann and Dublin bus also mention similar initiatives as I suggested and the government is now planing to implement.

Strategic opportunities for Bus Éireann
In light of the deteriorating financial situation facing the company, due to falling passenger numbers
and increasing costs, Bus Éireann will need to assess strategic opportunities:

• Subcontracting services to other operators
• Integration with Rural Transportation Programme
• Integration with Health Service Executive requirements

http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/11393-0.pdf

Publish date Jan '09 so before I got my speak in here on boards!
Still, 3 years and a month on and theres 600 million+ spent on school and HSE runs since that particular report.

[charlemont]

Ireland has/had such low density and large amounts of of land that if we actually had any real planning to begin with we could have built these bungalows/one-off housing around the edge of our cities/larger towns creating large but clean suburbs with actual footpaths and public lighting, Instead most areas that were created with large bungalows/one-off housing don't even have footpaths, lights or decent wide roads and most of the houses are divided by fields thus ensuring public transport doesn't hasn't a hope.

[Mrs OBumble]

I look forward to seeing them try to integrate the "ring up the night before and we'll pick you up at home" services with scheduled school runs.

I was quite surprised at how many of these there are in Galway, and how hard it was to track down information about them.

Some of the rural transport people do charge a fee - except that I suspect most of the passengers will qualify for a free travel pass.

[foggy_lad]

Originally Posted by JustMary

I look forward to seeing them try to integrate the "ring up the night before and we'll pick you up at home" services with scheduled school runs.

I was quite surprised at how many of these there are in Galway, and how hard it was to track down information about them.

Some of the rural transport people do charge a fee - except that I suspect most of the passengers will qualify for a free travel pass.

Most of those services are the only means elderly and disabled people have of getting out to a town to do a bit of shopping for a few hours or even go to the library to return books maybe once or twice a week.

[parsi]

Originally Posted by foggy_lad

Most of those services are the only means elderly and disabled people have of getting out to a town to do a bit of shopping for a few hours or even go to the library to return books maybe once or twice a week.

As you mentioned if those people choose to live in the sticks then they should make their own arrangements .

[foggy_lad]

Originally Posted by parsi

As you mentioned if those people choose to live in the sticks then they should make their own arrangements .

Most of these people have lived there all their lives and did not chose to move to or build a house miles from the nearest town and essential amenities. When people are disabled or get old they are often not able to drive and rely on the services provided by rural transport schemes like "ring-a-link" "town-link" etc most rural areas are covered all at relatively little cost due to the operators knowing how many passengers they will have for most journeys and using appropriate sizes of bus and mini-bus.

[foggy_lad]

Originally Posted by parsi

Ah. Your earlier posts suggested that your objections were based on infection control and child protection issues.

How far from Cork or Dublin do you think we should state that "the sticks" begin ? Would - for instance - Carlow be considered to be the sticks in terms of travelling to Dublin ?

Would you like your children sitting next to a convicted rapist or child killer on the bus to school?

[dowlingm]

Originally Posted by foggy_lad

Would you like your children sitting next to a convicted rapist or child killer on the bus to school?

foggy - you haven't answered why if this is so likely that urban kids don't get picked up by similar buses.

[Victor]

Originally Posted by Sponge Bob

But more than ANYTHING else I am sick of thick cu*ts like Chris Andrews and his acolytes arguing that the subsidy of transport is a ''rural' thing ...when it is not .

Whatever one thinks of Mr. Andrews, can we refrain from such comments?

Originally Posted by foggy_lad

Would you like your children sitting next to a convicted rapist or child killer on the bus to school?

Can you ease off on such comments?

---------------------------------------

The greatest quantity of threat to school children probably comes from the class bully and general horseplay. The most substantial threats come from family members and authority figures known to the child. Having additional adults present on the bus probably makes things safer.

[mikemac1]

Originally Posted by foggy_lad

There is also a child protection issue here, All bus drivers must be Gardai vetted before driving school buses AFAIK so are all the extra passengers going to be Gardai vetted? School buses are exactly that to segregate and protect children on their way to and from school, this is for their protection

Originally Posted by foggy_lad

Would you like your children sitting next to a convicted rapist or child killer on the bus to school?

A bit hysterical

How do the children using Bus Éireann in Galway and Cork or Dublin Bus manage so?

And if I had a conviction I'd choose to live in a city anyway as you can be a lot more anonymous then somewhere where everyone knows everyone.

[Padraig Mor]

Originally Posted by parsi

As you mentioned if those people choose to live in the sticks then they should make their own arrangements .

I'd normally agree with this sentiment. However, a relative did a study of rural transport schemes in West Cork a couple of years back as part of a college course. She found that those using the schemes for the most part really were the old, disabled etc. She interviewed many of them and it appears that the "this is their only chance to get out of the house" maxim really is the truth, and most would never get out of the house if not for these schemes. I also believe that the cost involved is pretty low.

[Victor]

Originally Posted by Padraig Mor

I'd normally agree with this sentiment. However, a relative did a study of rural transport schemes in West Cork a couple of years back as part of a college course. She found that those using the schemes for the most part really were the old, disabled etc. She interviewed many of them and it appears that the "this is their only chance to get out of the house" maxim really is the truth, and most would never get out of the house if not for these schemes. I also believe that the cost involved is pretty low.

Surely these people would be better off in a village or sheltered housing environment?

[foggy_lad]

Originally Posted by Victor

Surely these people would be better off in a village or sheltered housing environment?

Most have lived in the houses all their lives and should not be expected to move into some sheltered housing scheme or village leaving the houses many of them were born in, now that they are a bit older, what is wrong with looking after the elderly like they have looked after Ireland paying massive taxes all their lives, working on farms and in jobs where health and safety just meant the boss had to report your death if you were killed on the job, these people are the reason we all have so much today!