Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Spinning out of control
Planned increases in train fares across Wales tomorrow are causing huge controversy, however attempts by a 'Welsh Assembly Government Spokesperson' to sooth things over sound less than convincing.
The Western Mail tells us that Government-regulated fares such as Saver and season tickets will increase by 4.8%. The cheapest return fare between Swansea and Cardiff will rise by 4.1% to £5.10. At the same time the cheapest return fare between Colwyn Bay and Chester – approximately the same distance – will rise by 5.6% to £13.30. An Aberystwyth to Newtown return, also for a similar distance, will rise by 5.3% to £10. Some people seem to think that this indicates that a postcode lottery now exists for Wales’ train passengers.
The Assembly Government spokesperson however, is unconvinced. He tells the paper that “Unregulated fares are rising an average of 4.8%. If all fares making up this average are taken into the calculation, it is simply not the case that North Wales fares are being raised across the board at a higher rate than South Wales fares. There are variations to make up the average, but these are spread across Wales.”
Personally, I am in no doubt that this passage must qualify for a Plain English Campaign Award next year, chiefly because I do not know what it means. The Welsh Assembly Government are trying to blind us with a statistical device that purports to prove that black is white. Perhaps they should take it onto Platform One of Colwyn Bay station and see how many commuters believe them.
The Western Mail tells us that Government-regulated fares such as Saver and season tickets will increase by 4.8%. The cheapest return fare between Swansea and Cardiff will rise by 4.1% to £5.10. At the same time the cheapest return fare between Colwyn Bay and Chester – approximately the same distance – will rise by 5.6% to £13.30. An Aberystwyth to Newtown return, also for a similar distance, will rise by 5.3% to £10. Some people seem to think that this indicates that a postcode lottery now exists for Wales’ train passengers.
The Assembly Government spokesperson however, is unconvinced. He tells the paper that “Unregulated fares are rising an average of 4.8%. If all fares making up this average are taken into the calculation, it is simply not the case that North Wales fares are being raised across the board at a higher rate than South Wales fares. There are variations to make up the average, but these are spread across Wales.”
Personally, I am in no doubt that this passage must qualify for a Plain English Campaign Award next year, chiefly because I do not know what it means. The Welsh Assembly Government are trying to blind us with a statistical device that purports to prove that black is white. Perhaps they should take it onto Platform One of Colwyn Bay station and see how many commuters believe them.
Comments:
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I use the train services a fair bit and have recently found the prices to be a bit more reasonable thanks to the firstminute fares.
If it wasn't for those fares I'd probably catch a coach instead - it may be longer but prior to the cheaper train fares the price difference used to be huge.
Speaking of the trains, I don't like the new train on the Swansea-Paddington at all. Although power points on every seat is a plus, the carriages just feel so much more crampt than they used to. I don't find the seats as comfortable as they used to be either.
A Swansea Blog
If it wasn't for those fares I'd probably catch a coach instead - it may be longer but prior to the cheaper train fares the price difference used to be huge.
Speaking of the trains, I don't like the new train on the Swansea-Paddington at all. Although power points on every seat is a plus, the carriages just feel so much more crampt than they used to. I don't find the seats as comfortable as they used to be either.
A Swansea Blog
It surprises me that the opposition parties haven't done more to expose the national disgrace that is the train system here in the UK. Expensive, dirty, unreliable and all too often rowdy - the daily experience of the rail passenger.
# posted by 
: 9:28 PM
: 9:28 PM
Has "anything been done" about the lack of train conductors on early morning commuter trains coming into Cardiff? I heard of folks using the packed trains who couldn't buy a ticket on the platform (no ticket office) and no conductor (either not present or unable to move around packed carriages to "take tickets". I wondered if the trains were packed because the train operator thought (based on train tickets purchased) that the laid-on carriages (often quite short trains) were not packed, but in fact were packed, but with folks unable to buy a ticket! The ticket collectors were taken away from Queen Street and Central Street stations - are they back now?
What this spokesperson is trying to say is that the 4.8 per cent figure is only an average and not a blanket increase. In fact this indicates that (since it is an average figure) a significant proportion of increases will actually be ABOVE 4.8 per cent!
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