Originally published in the North Norfolk News on 27 September 2007. Lightly edited from my original copy; transport services and prices reflect 2007.
It’s difficult being a teenager growing up in deepest, darkest Norfolk. It’s even more difficult living in an area where the locals would rather preserve the town they already have than allow for new methods of public transport. Now the nights are drawing in, these setbacks mean it is becoming increasingly difficult finding places to go in North Norfolk and finding a way to get to the night life in the city.
From a young age, I realised buses weren’t on my side. Each year at high school the county council would be too incompetent to sort out bus passes on time, and it would cause a lot of stress for both the students and parents.
Nowadays I guess I could start driving, but I have never been particularly keen on driving and in theory, buses and trains should suit the places I want to go. In any case I should be applauded, not frowned upon, for reducing my carbon footprint. After all, that’s all people seem to care about these days.
For a young resident of Holt, travel plays an important role in our lives. If I want to see friends in Sheringham, I have to take a bus. And if I want to buy affordable presents and clothing, I need to go to Norwich. That means either taking a long journey by bus, or getting a bus and then a train, often meaning a lot of waiting in between.
Of course, no bus service around here is prepared to start before seven in the morning, and so any early commitments can prove difficult. The train service comes at a cost too, around a third more expensive than during the day. At night, the trains from Norwich back to North Norfolk stop running just after ten o’clock and nights out become difficult.
Once on a train, it’s then a gambling game as to whether you get a seat during peak times. It’s no longer about manners when you’re boarding, it’s a case of ensuring you’re not left standing, as people push and shove to get on first. Last month I was sent by the newspaper to a Norwich City game, and found the train back to Sheringham complete chaos. Passengers were standing from one end of the train, to the other, and I was almost forced out of the door. In fact, I didn’t get a seat until the last stop. I can’t imagine the train provider got a good deal out of it either, being unable to reach us to charge us for the tickets. What is wrong with adding another carriage at busy times?
Elsewhere, away from Norwich, there are further problems. Campaigners in Bodham are still appealing for service buses to resume travelling through the village and surrounding areas. Similarly, the people of Cromer are campaigning for the reopening of its bus station after it closed last year. There has been positive talk of saving it from becoming a block of flats, but nothing set in stone.
And finally, there are the taxis. While they may be expensive, I’ve taken a few in my time, and they are fairly reliable… well, during the day! Last year I made some calls about a taxi back home after a night out, and I might as well have been talking a foreign language. But it wasn’t until recently I found out that taxis do actually run in Holt. Unlike other towns, there’s very little to show there are companies operating in the town. They are often found on the outskirts of town, but none are waiting for customers anywhere convenient.
So what can we do to change things? We could lower the driving age to make up for it. Or we could complain about these problems. Alternatively, perhaps someone should set up an evening minibus service for younger residents. A few minibuses full of teenagers heading home after a night out might finally persuade the powers that be that we need better transport.
In the meantime I’m going to dig out my bike from the shed. After numerous stories about how the older generation got about on one, maybe we’re seriously underestimating this invention…