Forum Topic

TFL

How useless is TFL? My husband who is 75 ad has health problems wanted to take our car in to our repairer who is in Bollo Lane. He asked TFl which bus he could get back from here to Chiswick High Road. Loftily it told him it is walkable or cyclable. Really what if you are pregnant, have a disability, have a small child in  push chair or in my husband's case have lung problems? And is it any of TFL's business which way you travel?

Alex Marshall ● 1136d30 Comments

It literally is TfL's business which way you travel. If someone from the organisation was discouraging your husband from taking public transport in order to walk or cycle they really have lost the plot. How did you make contact with TfL?

Francis Rowe ● 1136d

TFLs online journey planner gives you the option to tick least walking.

David Turner ● 1136d

TfL website says if you can, walk or cycle this route.If you can't it mentions using the 440 bus.Not sure about the journey times though ... 13 minutes walking vs 10 minutes by bus.

Andrew Jones ● 1136d

It IS walkable or cyclable (at least for many) and you (or your husband in this case) have a choice. Whether TfL should know whether your husband is pregnant, disabled or has a small child in  push chair is questionable, as it isn't their business.

Mike Smith ● 1136d

Surely the point here is that TfL should only be discouraging people from using public transport if the alternative is driving. In this case the person presumably had a freedom pass but they weren't to know that. Otherwise taking the bus would have increased revenue from the service making a small contribution to funding it.

Francis Rowe ● 1136d

TfL are surely in the business of promoting active travel?There are wide ranging benefits to health by undertaking a more active lifestyle (if you can) not least the reduced burden on healthcare services.It shouldn't just be about raising revenue.

Andrew Jones ● 1135d

I don't know what its charter says but I think a lot of Active Travel promotion it does is linked to specific grant-funded projects. I'm happy for central government and local authorties to fund these but, as a public transport user, I'd like the money I spend to go towards improving the network not persuading people not to use it and therefore ultimately degrading the service.

Francis Rowe ● 1135d

Isn't  called Walking for London nor Cycling for London.

Keith Iddon ● 1135d

I understand that point of view, but surely there has to be a balance struck between maximising revenue and other factors.Just plucking an example out of the air, I sometimes take the 94 bus into town for work. I'm lucky enough to live relatively close to the start of the route, so I have no problems with there being room on the bus.But, if every person who normally walked in the same direction as the bus is going chose to take the bus, then there wouldn't be enough room for some wanting to take longer journeys that would be too time consuming to undertake by foot.

Andrew Jones ● 1135d

"Loftily *it* told him"So we're talking about the TFL Website or App.  It's not scentiant - just an alogrithum based on rules. It's offering cycle/walk because it's a short journey that is quicker than taking the bus - which for many, possibly the majority would be useful to know.  TFL do not have insight into your personal mobility - well actually they do if you tell the website/app....As others have said, you only have to change your preferences (once) to 'least walking' and it would have advised you to take the 440 bus.I can't see anything wrong here!

Cal Edon ● 1135d

So much projection in the choice of the word "loftily". This forum is like a live feed from the lounge of a retirement home in Romford.

Paul Campbell ● 1135d

What have you got against retired people Paul ? You sound very ageist.Were you battered your grandparents in you early years

Bernard Allen ● 1135d

Indeed, ‘loftily’ gave me visions of an audio version for the near-sighted of TFL’s Journey Planner app voiced by Jacob Rees-Mogg - “Just walk, peasants.  What are your legs for?”

Alastair Banton ● 1135d

Should of added “by” but then I am retired so we do have manic moments now and then.

Bernard Allen ● 1135d

And mine was a reply to Paul’s and should have gone after his - but I’m a bit of a slow Tyler in my dotage.

Alastair Banton ● 1135d

Or typer, or even typist.

Alastair Banton ● 1135d

Not sure why Campbell mentions Romford. Why not Northern Ireland?

Steve Taylor ● 1135d

Some garages will give you a lift to the nearest bus stop/station etc especially if they are a long walk - or tell you about the nearest bus stops/stations etc.  It is great when they put this on their websites (if they have them)!  A friendly receptionist (if they bother to employ one) would often be able to tell you this.I think that the TfL website has been greatly improved as we know that walking and cycling are better for you (if you can).

Philippa Bond ● 1134d

Ah, Mr. Campbell welcome back - NOT!Care to share any more of your ageist, ableist trolling?

N V Brooks ● 1134d

NVB, to be fair I think I can see why the ageist jabs. Not excusing them mind.People of a certain age had the best of it. Everything was new and exciting. We had the best music, the best fashion, the best open roads, the best cars, the best hoildays, jobs for life, affordable first homes, achievable expectations, the list goes on.Let's be honest we haven't handed them much of a legacy have we. Somehow we have managed to screw up just about everything.What have younger people got to get excited about now? Cycle lanes and bollards?You've got to feel a little sorry really.

Adrian Irving ● 1134d

Come on we had a revolution in the early sixtes and we didn’t abuse our elders,Although we did abuse and threaten our own age group, and I’m not saying that was the right thing to do  either.

Bernard Allen ● 1134d

This isn't getting any less like a live feed from the lounge of a retirement home for cantankerous old men with persecution complexes.

Paul Campbell ● 1134d

Your beginning to sound like a tape loop

Bernard Allen ● 1134d

Strangely enough I was talking to an old friend today about Dave Simms music who used to be in The Grove, Ealing. It was the first shop where you could buy the Copycat tape loop effect unit.Problem was, it really was a one trick pony, it only did one thing and that was to repeat itself over and over and over and got more than a bit boring very quickly. Remind you of any local ageist and ableist troll?

N V Brooks ● 1134d

I thought some garages would collect your car if too ill to take it in yourself,  Also I heard of some elderly drivers swapping cars with younger members of the family who live further away so they have a compliant car to get around as they cannot afford the fines or able to afford a compliantvehicle.

Janice Evans ● 1134d

Absolutely right Janice!  I'd forgotten but it is very useful when the garage comes and collects your car from you. It used to save me the stress and fear of getting lost on the way to the garage and the very long walk to the tube station (although they did offer a lift).

Philippa Bond ● 1134d

Dave Simms a Good Drummer and manufacturer of Simms Watts Disco equipment and PA amplification. He did move about a bit, from the grove to South Ealing Road , then up Bond Road Street Run by John Ward.Then he started up Project music which ended up on the Great West Road.That basic tape loop sounded great when John played his guitar though it, or maybe it was the late John Ward’s guitar skill, RIP.

Bernard Allen ● 1134d

I am still in touch with Andrew Mazurkiewicz who used to hand craft guitars in Dave's basement. We used to spend hours drinking coffee and talking about music. He tolerated me not being a guitarist (drummer myself).😀 Andrew has lived in Vienna for many years and has only recently retired

N V Brooks ● 1134d

(drummer myself).😀. Me to ! I used to run John’s shop (Bond street) along with Colin and his wife, when John and his wife were on Holiday. A small world.Even sold my Gretsch kit through the shop in 78

Bernard Allen ● 1134d

Dave and John filled the void left when Jim Marshall closed his shop in Ealing Broadway. Jim was my first drum teacher and their Saturday boy when the shop was in Hanwell and who used to well me sticks and drum skins was Mitch Mitchell.  I remember the local press coverage when Jimi Hendrix turned up for his 21st birthday bash at his folks house on the Cuckoo Estate in Hanwell

N V Brooks ● 1133d