Friday 28 August 2009

Sometimes I even bore myself

I've been reading UBS Bank's annual Prices and Earnings report (click on the title when you get there). I've learned several things, one of which is that I can't afford to live in Oslo, the world's most expensive city. Lovely Copenhagen is out of my reach too.

However, I've also learned that transport costs in the UK are twice the European average, and 3.4 times the global average - despite the supposed competitive edge of privatisation, a compact country and a historically well-developed network. What are these bastards doing with our money? Buying yachts is my guess…

1 comment:

Benjamin Judge said...

We have Europe's most expensive fares but also Europe's cheapest. Bought in advance certain routes are mindbogglingly cheap. Jo and I recently bought Manchester to London return tickets for four pounds.

The problem with rail fares is that they stamp on sponteneity. You simply cannot just go somewhere on the spur of the moment. Everything has to be bought weeks in advance.

Privitisation was such a poxy way to go. Now you are effectively punished for travelling any route that uses more than one carrier. This had to be foreseeable. Didn't it?

The saddest thing about rail is that we have probably left it too late to ever rescue it.

Still cheaper than the bus round my way though. I cannot fathom why.