Rail transport - would you pay extra for a better service?
There has been a response from the rail transport sector with regards to announced 6% ticket increases which are way above the current rate of inflation. They believe that the increased income will allow them to improve the facilities currently on offer and give taxpayers and consumers much better value for money. Would you pay more for a better rail service?
The suggestion that there would be a significant increase in the quality of service has been welcomed by consumer groups but there are concerns that we have heard this all before. Over the last 20 years we have been promised a better service, more trains, better punctuality and greater value for money although it has literally taken 20 years to deliver on many of these promises. There is now concern that if passengers agreed to price increases this will open the floodgates and see prices shoot ahead over the coming months.
It seems as though transport network plans to increase the cost of tickets may well have been made when the price of oil was the region of $150 per barrel but now that it's down to $50 per barrel and they may need to think again.
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