Manage without buses and no car?

[sheridand]

I live in rural Fenland and have no car Mon-Fri, when husband has it for his work. Me (and the kids) walk 4 miles to school and back every day, on playgroup days I do it 4 or even 6 times! I've always had the buses to rely on. I could get to the nearest market town and stock up on veg and so on, and could buy kids shoes etc in the nearest town. But now the service has been cut to 3 buses a day, and I can't get there and back AND pick my son up from school. This leaves me with the option of doing the grocery shopping at weekends ( when i'd rather be having fun with the family, and using the supermarket rather than local market), or doing stuff online.

I don't want to! I'm SO CROSS. I don't want, and can't afford another car. I don't want to shop at T***o online!

I can't use a bike, as the nearest market town is uncyclable, being 8 miles away (ok for me, but noth with a two year old in tow, on very dangerous Fen roads).

Ruddy Councils.......

[happyhippy]

Thats a real shame!Wow thats alot of walking you're doing!Is there anyone who could possibly give you a lift into town say once a week to do your grocery shop?Or is there veg/fruit box schemes?I'm thinking if you could atleast get that delivered,you could maybe get a local butcher(if you're a meat eater)to deliver,also a milkman?Experiment and start making your own cleaning products which would also reduce the extra shopping ect.Sorry I really don't know what else to suggest but I do feel for you.xx

[Big Al]

When my son went to playgroup / nursery it was for two hours. Is it possible to do daily or two day's shopping whilst your son is at nursery school / playgroup ? My thinking is you still get your shopping the way you want it and you don't have to keep going back and forth all day. Sort of staying out till schools out every other day.
Could you get one shop to deliver all your shop if you drop it off at their store? For example, you do all your shopping, leave it at the butchers and place an order with him that will make it worthwhile him delivering it on the way home. You could say that if one of the local shops can't do this then you will sadly have to go to Te^&*.

Hope you get sorted.

[greenorelse]

Horse and cart?

[Big Al]

Horse and cart?

The sad thing is it's illeagal to leave a horse tied up unattended whilst you go shopping.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Horse and cart?

The sad thing is it's illeagal to leave a horse tied up unattended whilst you go shopping.

OK - I can understand that in this day and age when casual cruelty to animals seems to be a sport in some sections of society. I confess that I have never used the horse to do the shopping, but she has occaisonally been used as a practical means of transport. Perhaps this sort of thing might become more widespread as the price of oil continues ever upwards. In which case "horse parks" with attendents might appear.

It's a shame that the bike is out because they can, of course, be fitted with a trailer for shopping purposes.

[stevetc]

I've never used one, but I have a mate in a similar situation who uses an electric bicycle. . . one of those hybrid ones that charges on the way down hills . . . and I know that he regularly does this with his small person on a child-seat. . . You did say the roads are dangerous in the area, tho - I guess there're no cycle routes? Typical. . .

[John Headstrong]

I had a friend that had a tricycle for a few years, he had a child seat on it and it could get a fair amount of shopping on it due to baskets front and back. He had lots of lights on the back, you could not miss him! He always wanted to get a electric motor on it but never did.

alternatively, get a pre 1972 car, free tax and classic insurance is only £100 a year, it is the only way we manage to have 2 cars (not that my beetle is actually working at the mo, but it will be again soon)

[sheridand]

I'd love a trike or bike option, but the roads here are LETHAL: no cycle lanes and lots and lots of heavy farm machinery. Just not worth the risk. I like the idea of a pre-1972 car though1 I hadn't thought of that! Wish we had enough land for a pony though, even if we can't park it! Just found out today that the service to the local hospital has now also been cut by 85%: 2 buses a day! So i've now had to cancel any further remaining hospital appointments I had! Just ridiculous.

[oldjerry]

Going on from the classic car idea,you can run a motor for less than you think . (classics tend to be a bit pricey to buy initially).

Some cars tend to be bought by old geezers \ ladies.that do little milage(not aging pseudo ralley drivers like me)..I could give you a list of suggestionsif you wanted,but here's an example.

I got an E reg renault 5 with 47 thou miles off Ebay for £175,went straight through the MOT (another £40).Road Tax£3 a week,insurance £3.20 a week(me and mrs OJ ) You see loads of them for this sort of cash,they are pre computery stuff so basic and cheap to fix.Zero street cred,but cheap transport.

I know if you're really skint it's still a lot,but in rural areas like this,if you've got kids to take to school,have hospital appointments or are lucky enough to have a job to go to ,some sort of personal motorized transport is just about inevitable.

[Lasagna Raso]

I can`t imagine life without my car, as I live 35km from my job, and buses could not transfer me in a reasonable time. But I hate fact that price of gasoline is growing all the time

[Thomzo]

Could you and some of your neighbours share a taxi? If you were to split the price between 4 it may not be too bad. They may give you a discount if you make a regular booking.

Zoe

[Lasagna Raso]

Could you and some of your neighbours share a taxi? If you were to split the price between 4 it may not be too bad. They may give you a discount if you make a regular booking.

Zoe

In my case, unfortunately no

[Green Aura]

Are there other parents nearby in a similar situation? Maybe you could split the trips between you so you all still get the walk but just once or twice a day.

Also, if there are a sufficient number of you, petition the council/bus company re restoration of some sort of service. I'm sure others must feel the same way you do.

Or, of course, you could get David Cameron to build a school closer to you - wasn't that one of his election pledges?