Musical Buses In Malta
Malta has an efficient bus network and as everybody speaks English and seem to believe in Old World courtesy and common sense, using them is very easy.
It is an ideal place to play musical buses, where you get on a bus see where it goes, explore the destination and then get another.
You pay a flat daily charge of €1.50 and the driver gives you a ticket, which you show on all future journeys. This fare system could in the future be modified with the appropriate reader, to accept bank cards as tickets.
The bus company is the same as that that runs the 38, I regularly use in London; Arriva.
Some bus systems are impenetrable to visitors, but in Malta, buses are easier to use than those in say Manchester or Sheffield.
Valletta’s Electric Taxis
I didn’t take a ride, but was intrigued by Valletta’s little electric taxis.
Certainly, it would be a good idea if in cities like London, all taxis were electric.
Crossrail’s Unrecognised Legacy
I have just read this article on the BBC web site, which is entitled Crossrail: Who wants to work in a tunnel?
It contains interviews with those that work underground and shows how Crossrail has gone out of its way to create jobs for those living locally and give them training if required.
It is a classic illustration of how you use a large infrastructure project for which there is an urgent need to get people workimng and give them skills.
I wonder if the Northern Hub and the Borders Railway are having similar effects. If they aren’t, I blame the management and the politicians for not using the right employment model.
Ipswich Town Get Angry
This story on the BBC follows a similar theme to one I wrote a week or so ago.
I remember some years ago, when Stoke Hill tunnel by Ipswich station was enlarged for the larger containers, and passengers were bused from Ipswich to Manningtree, that the rail companies involved ran an exemplary system, backed by copious information and publicity.
So it proves yet again that Abellio Greater Anglia generally see passengers as irrelevant except as cash cows.
Why Would Anybody Use Heathrow Express?
On Tuesday, I’m off to Malta from Heathrow on the 11:25 flight.
I’ve just consulted Transport for London’s journey planner. If I go anywhere and especially west of Kings Cross on the Piccadilly line, I generally take a 141 bus from the corner by my house to Manor House station and get the line from there.
I’ve just seen how long it takes from Manor House to Heathrow Terminal 4, where my flight leaves. It takes 67 minutes if you take the Underground all the way and ten minutes less if you take a route using Heathrow Express, which involves a several changes of train including one at the airport to get to Terminal 4.
So for a saving of ten minutes, I pay a lot of money and have a lot more hassle.
The Underground may be unsexy, but it is generally reliable and a lot more convenient.
Crossrail will be faster and probably save me upwards of half-an-hour getting to Heathrow, unless I want to go to Terminal 5.
The Great Car Con
Tomorrow night on Despatches on Channel Four are showing a program called The Great Car Con. They say this in summary about the program.
Motorists were promised diesel would be the cheap, green fuel of the future, but it turns out that’s not the case. Why did politicians encourage the ‘dash for diesel’?
All of today’s generation of politicians, won’t know much about air pollution, like my generation suffered from before the Clean Air Act of 1956, cleaned up our major cities. Unless of course they have been on a freebie to Beijing.
In my view we need to agree an objective function, where the amount of everything we emit into the air is balanced in a scientifically-correctly weighted way.
I would want a strict limit for CO2 and all the other pollutants. And there should be a firm cut-off date when after which vehicles that do not meet the limits are banned. I should also be Europe-wide.
In London we should start with buses, taxis and trucks, which would be controversial. But lots of legislation is opposed, but if it is sensible and well thought out, after a brief time, no-one would want to give up the improvements to their lives.
Does anybody want to allow smoking on buses, trains and in public houses?
I used to love my cars, but I haven’t driven for nearly five years now. Do I miss it?
Of course not!
I do wonder if people choose to give up driving voluntarily or not bother to learn, then they should be entitled to a discount on public transport.
No Contactless Cards On The Emirates Air-Line
This is the welcoming sign you get at the Emirates Air-Line.
No Contactless Cards On The Emirates Air-Line
As there is talk that contactless cards are gradually taking over from Oyster, not accepting them, is a really good way to discourage ridership.
Custom House Station – 25th January 2015
I took these pictures today.
Compare them with those taken six weeks ago.
Progress seems to be happening, with some stairs and the tunnel towards London now showing themselves.
The Five Car Class 378 Trains Are Showing Themselves
I described my first sighting of a five car Class 378 in this post in December 2014. Since then, I have had the odd trip in one, but over the last few days they have become more numerous.
The pictures show the brighter upholstery in the new carriages.
Today, I sat in one and the helpful announcer said that I was in Car 5 of 5. In fact, the carriage was in its normal position of four.
Lunch At Rye
I stopped off at Rye for lunch at the Mermaid Inn, which was a gentle walk up the hill from the railway station.
I had a simple but excellent lunch of grilled plaice, new potatoes and some freshly-cooked broccoli, washed down with half of real cider.
It really isn’t difficult to create a simple gluten-free meal, as the Mermaid showed. In some ways, it’s ironic to get a good gluten-free meal in a town with the name of Rye!
It was just what I needed on a bitterly cold day.
My only problem with Rye was that there weren’t any maps at the station and if it hadn’t been for the map I printed off the Mermaid’s website, it would have been difficult to find.
I shall go back in the sun and explore Rye. I’ll certainly find the Tourist Information and give them a piece of my mind on the lack of information.
The Anonymous Widower 