Another alternative is public transport: limiting the amount of waste and pollution whilst maximising on space. It makes sense, then, to choose The Big Lemon where possible. Founded in 2007 by Tom Druitt, running solely on waste cooking fuel and cheaper than the red alternatives running throughout the city, the Big Lemon buses make sense not just for those concerned with lessening their impact on the environment.
However, the service is under threat.
If people begin using the Big Lemon service instead of the red Brighton & Hove Buses [which are not environmentally friendly] then the cancellation of routes can cease, or perhaps even increase.
Roger French, owner of the Brighton & Hove bus company saw the Big Lemon as competition and so lowered his buses fares to match those of the Big Lemon, and saturated Brighton with huge numbers of unnecessary, polluting red buses. Not only is this hugely mean-spirited, it is irresponsible.
The Big Lemon does not generate waste, it makes use of it. It also gets involved with countless other eco-friendly activities and makes a positive contribution to Brighton & Hove.
Brighton & Hove buses is essentially a public service being conducted as if it were a private firm only existent to reap profits. Which I suppose in a sense it is...
If you're interested in reading more about The Big Lemon and their participation within the community, click here to visit their website
There's also an online petition calling for this kind of thing to stop. The petition was organised by Sussex University but you don't have to be a student or local resident to sign and how your support:
Why is everything about money? Roger French is selfish. Why doesn't he use big lemon buses so all buses in brighton make sense and he wont loose out on anything. Or something like that. To quote Nelly Furtardo, why do all good things come to an end? Maybe if lemon buses took over brighton they could take over england and all buses would be enviro-friendly and by the sounds of it cheap ! Molly
ReplyDeleteAll the good things seem to be bought out or run out of town by people whose sole aim is to generate huge profits. I've never met Roger French but apparently he's 'very charming', I assume that's how he gets away with it. "Economic growth is not the only measure of progress"... Brighton is meant to be one of the most progressive cities in the UK so I don't see why residents are just rolling over and accepting this. Lemon buses taking over England sounds amazing...
Delete"Brighton & Hove buses is essentially a public service being conducted as if it were a private firm"
ReplyDeleteThat is why anything run as a monopoly public service cannot be trusted - they always end up run by people whose priority is their own wealth. Busses, BBC, NHS etc.
A level playing field would allow the Big Lemon (and others) to compete an win simply by attracting customers - instead of having to rely on vested public sector interests (council, regulators etc) to 'let' them compete.
Getting a slice of an existing monopoly is attractive to money grubbers, but honest and open competition in a free market without entry barriers is the real, long term, solution.
Exactly. Unfortunately most people in a position of power seem to go for the instantaneous but very short-term solutions to any problem. Without sounding like an awful infomercial, it is surely better to invest hard work, effort and money into a lengthy but permanent solution for the future than to throw money at something only for it to rebound a year later.
DeleteWe shouldn't be surprised considering most people with the authority to make these decisions, particularly those in politics or finance, don't seem to care about having any kind of positive impact on the societies they couldn't exist without. It's all about furthering their sham careers and being able to sign off their mail with a load of letters after their name...
I am no fan of the greens generally - but doesn't having a green council help? I am not suggesting special treatment - just a level playing field.
DeleteThere are subsidised routes which probably aren't hugely profitable (or maybe they are!), but are surely reliable streams of income. Do the Big Lemon get to bid for them?
It does help to an extent as it enables projects like this to receive support they wouldn't get from councils of other persuasions. However, the council wards are not majority Green and in some areas the Big Lemon doesn't receive as much support as it does closer to town.
DeleteThe major routes - between the universities for example - are the ones saturated by Brighton & Hove buses and unfortunately, the Big Lemon can't match the funding and so literally gets beaten out of competition.
At the last Green meeting we discussed this in-depth and more people are 'taking a stand' as it were. I lived in Moulsecoomb last year, which is a suburb of Brighton and was on the Big Lemon route. Brighton & Hove buses started running double decker buses every 5 minutes, usually only with about 10 passengers on each aside from at peak times and so naturally they just 'took' all the competition.
I've written a letter to Caroline Lucas and both Sussex University and Green Party members are currently petitioning this so hopefully we'll see change soon...
Seems a shame to make it party political - most parties would support a 'free market' and 'level playing field'.
DeleteOnce a party claims something as their own it deters others because there will be claims that members of one party are supporting the other party -- when, in fact, they simply happen to agree on the issue.
It's not about declaring ownership: the three political councillors are councillors for Green, Conservative and Labour and it's only the Green councillors that actively support saving The Big Lemon. I don't think political views come into it, or at least ; only in the superficial sense.
DeleteOh to smell of used chip fat when I get to work, great !
ReplyDeleteYou have clearly never used this bus
DeletePlus, since when did you ever arrive anywhere smelling of petrol???
Deletehahahaha
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