Fed up of costly bus trips, pass price rises, and poor route choices? One of our members is so fed up, he’s written an open letter to Metro Mayor Luke Campbell, to demand improvements for Hull and the surrounding area.
You can read a plain text version below. Get in touch and let us know your thoughts at hullgreens@gmail.com
PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN HULL
At a time when a number of British cities now have relatively cheap and efficient tram networks and fleets of electric buses, and Liverpool is set to introduce electric rapid transit vehicles in 2028, where is Hull?
Unfortunately, in comparison to other cities, public transport in Hull is expensive, poorly planned, frequently unreliable and generally inadequate to the needs of the city. Although Hull is one of the poorest places in the country, with pay well below the national average, the cost of bus travel, whether measured by single fares or weekly passes, is more expensive than in other cities and areas.
On the 27th of July a weekly bus pass within Hull, covering both Stagecoach and East Yorkshire services, increased by £3.50, from £21.80 to £25.30. A young person’s KAT card also increased from £15.80 to £18.60.
This means that bus travel in Hull will be more expensive than, to take a sample, York, Nottingham, Liverpool, Manchester, County Durham and London (an all-zone weekly bus pass in London is £24.70). Only a Leeds First pass is more expensive (£26) but that covers the whole of West Yorkshire.
Put simply, public transport in Hull is becoming unaffordable for young people and many working people. Frequent public consultations about bus services may have led to some changes in routes but have been ineffective in improving the service as a whole and in keeping fares down.
To this end, the Hull and East Riding Green Party proposes that the mayor, members of Hull City Council Transport Committee, representatives from educational institutions, major employment and environmental bodies and business, together with professionals in public transport, initiate a series of meetings to devise imaginative – and if need be, radical – short, medium, and long term plans for public transport in the city.
A cheap, clean, and reliable public transport system is vital for any city, and at the moment – Hull doesn’t have one.