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Let's not forget that, for the past few years, the government has been ramping-up the level of duty on fuel while at the same time reducing the rebate NCT receives. Add in the rising pre-tax cost of diesel and I can understand why fares are going up.

And we are lucky in Nottingham. A comprehensive network that runs seven days a week; no clapped-out vehicles and up-to-date timetable information displays at most stops.

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Re #29 , there is a large concentration of buses in certain areas especially some Council Estates where there is barely enough room for cars never mind buses. Also, the proliferation of stops every twenty yards and the erection of strategically placed bollards thereby cutting out any chance of overtaking a stationary bus. These things really pi55 me off. Can't have the beggars walking too far can we, they'll have to have more energy drinks if they need to walk five yards further.

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In 1972 it cost 18p to go from Langar to Broadmarsh on good old Barton's

And I could get a pint of Home ales bitter for 12p ;)

It's all relative then the average wage was about £25(ish)a week it's around £530 a week now.

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1974 the bus fare from Nottm to Clifton 12p now its 1 pound 70shillings

In 1974 I was getting 17 pounds 50p for a porcelain Metal dental crown now I see them at Attenborough Dental for 24 Quid.

I guess the Dentist has to make more the Lab gets left behind or more stupid idiots in the lab business.

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I think for what you get, the fares are decent.If they were going up and you didn't see investment, then I'd moan. Sure some costs are rising, and the fuel VAT refund allowance is being hacked - but it is there to make a profit, or not to be subsidised at any rate. There are always exceptions, naturally, but I find the buses clean, a good frequency, and relatively piss free.

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I seem to remember when I was younger that there was another bus company operating in Nottinghamon exactly the same route as the NCT. NCT took exception to this and openly tried to have them removed from all routes including all terminus points and where possible they would obstruct Turn around points so as to cause the newcomers maximum disruption. The new company would honour OAP bus passes and normal fares as I remember were cheaper than NCT.

It is alleged that dirty tricks may have been used to run the newcomers out of town. Does anybody recall

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the exact same thing goes on today via the fares wars. The number of start-ups that nctx has muscled out by running loss leading fares on a temp basis is disgraceful. Frankly, as the council own most of the shares, you'd expect them to try and shine some sort of moral light on the pratice

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Back in 2008, a company called Bellamy Coaches decided to run a Route Master service which replicated an older NCT number 58 route between Arnold and Nottingham. Although not on my route, I managed to catch one on one occasion and it was great fan and a nostalgic blast from the past (or very similar). I'm told that NCT responded by taking buses off other routes to Arnold and flooding the number 58 route in order to force the service off the road. So unnecessary and mean spirited if so.

Story and report:

Ding Ding - Hold Tight Please!

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Camms had a go in Derby too.

Derby Corporation responded by bringing out every bus they had and using them to block the streets so Camms couldn't get near the stops, but Camms persevered and when it became obvious they weren't going to give in, Derby decided they had no alternative but to buy them out.

It was even a condition of the sale that Derby painted some of their buses in Camms colours.

Mr Camm really must have been laughing all the way to the bank!

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Post deregulation, (1986), every 2 1/2 p bus company tried to cash in by running on profitable routes. However, they were nowhere to be seen on not so profitable routes & running at unsociable hours. They deserved to to get forced out by the "big" operators & suffer the humiliation of getting nowhere in the "Bus Wars".

Good riddance.

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Competition isn't necessarily better than the main operator.

it's just over a year ago that Premiere buses went into administration. They had a number of services running as an alternative to NCT in various areas. To me, their buses/coaches were a ragbag collection of what seemed to be anything they could pick up at vehicle auctions; most of it looked old, scruffy and rough. Premiere didn't bother to repaint them into any kind of corporate colour, so there was no consistent branding or logo. They operated in random colours, and often the only identifying mark was a hand-written piece of paper in the front window giving information on the route and operator.

Seemed like a bunch of cheap, amateur cowboys.

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Re #44 - yes, Derby was a complete mess for a while - great conclaves of buses blocking the Cornmarket - all going to Blagreaves Lane. Nobody seemed much bothered with Alvaston, Chaddesden or anywhere else for that matter. What the special attraction of Blagreaves Lane was I cannot for the life of me imagine.

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  • 3 years later...

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