Public Transport. Past and present years. Literacy

Transcription

1 FACT 1 Public Transport Past and present People have always needed transport to help them travel around and to move goods. Some people have their own transport such as a car, motorbike or bicycle which they can use for themselves. These are types of private or personal transport. Lots of people use public transport. Public transport is accessible to everyone and anybody can use it. Everywhere you travel you will find public transport of some kind - buses, coaches, metro systems, taxis, trains, ferries and aeroplanes. In the past, horses were an important part of public transport. They pulled carriages, stagecoaches and trams. There was even a horse-drawn railway! After the invention of the engine this all changed and new forms of public transport were invented, and this allowed lots of people to travel longer distances in less time. Buses are an important form of public transport in towns and villages. The first bus was called an omnibus, it was cold and noisy. Modern buses have air-conditioning, comfortable seats and some have a recorded message that lets you know when to get off. They make lots of stops on their journey so it is easy to travel a short distance. This also allows passengers to get on and off along busy high streets or on quiet roads in the countryside. A double-decker bus can carry around 75 passengers, and 40 people can fit onto a single-decker bus. Go-Ahead s bus operations, which include Metrobus and Brighton & Hove, carry around 1.7 million passengers every day on a fleet of more than 4,000 buses. Trains are also important for travelling over longer distances and from one town to another. Most towns and cities will have at least one train station. Trains travel at an average speed of 137 kph (85 mph) but high speed trains can go even faster at over 200 kph (125 mph)! The first trains were powered by coal, now they use diesel and electricity which is much cleaner and better for the environment. Because trains travel on rail tracks, they don t get stuck in traffic jams! Other types of public transport that run on rail tracks include metro systems, tube trains and trams.

2 FACT 1 Public Transport (continued) Did you know? There are over 34 million cars registered in the UK. If everyone used their car at the same time there would be a massive traffic jam and if every car carried four people that would be 136 million people! 136 million people can fit into: 34,000,000 cars or onto: or onto: 355,000 double-decker buses 94,000 trains There are lots of good reasons to use public transport, here are a few of them: It helps reduce traffic congestion It s better for the environment than a car You don t have to worry about where you re going - that s the driver s responsibility! You don t have to find a parking space for your car

3 FACT 2 Go-Ahead Customer service Go-Ahead s train and bus companies, including Southern, Thameslink, Metrobus and Brighton & Hove, are responsible for over one billion passenger journeys every year. We want to make sure that every one of our passengers is a happy customer who enjoys their journey and the service we provide for them. We put our passengers first and want to provide high quality, affordable bus and rail services for everyone. We think it is important to communicate with our passengers and we have set up Meet the Manager sessions where passengers can meet the people who are running their local bus and rail services, talk to them and ask them questions. Every year, an independent survey takes place to find out what people think of our bus and train services. We have created a travel smartcard called the key which is a small plastic card with an electronic chip that you can use instead of paper tickets. When you travel you put your smartcard on a touchpad to show you have paid. Using the smartcard means it is quicker for people to board the bus and train. It s much quicker than using a paper ticket. Passengers who need a bit more help when they are travelling can use a priority seat card which makes sure they get a seat on the train. We have created a tactile map for people with sight problems, it uses bright colours and you can read it with your fingers. These maps help people find their way around the stations more easily. We want all our passengers to feel safe when they travel with us so we have installed CCTV cameras on our buses and trains. The cameras film and record movement so if there is a problem, we can look back and see what happened. We encourage people to tell us if they have had any problems during their journey and the drivers, ticket collectors and station staff are always happy to help and will use their phones or computer to report any bad behaviour. We work hard to make sure our passengers come first and we are always keen to hear their comments and ideas so that we can keep improving and make our service the best it can be.

4 WORK 1 What is public transport? 1. Describe three different types of public transport - Example: A ferry is a boat which takes people or goods across short stretches of water. Here are some suggestions: Bus Tram Train Taxi Coach Aeroplane a b c Find out what form of transport these are and write a description for each. Have you heard of any of them before? Monorail Omnibus Trolleybus The Underground (tube) 2. Write three good reasons for travelling by public transport: a b c 3. Which forms of public transport have you travelled on?

5 WORK 2 Mr Smile s Letter The Chief Executive of the Go-Ahead Group, who is in charge of running the company, received this letter from Mr Smile. Read it carefully then answer the questions. Dear Mr Brown, 7 Sunny Street Townville Westhamptonshire I am writing to say how happy I am with your company! Last week the weather was very hot, so I planned a family day out at the seaside for me, my wife and our two children. We decided to use public transport rather than the car because petrol is so expensive and I know that using the car is damaging for the environment. It was very easy to plan our journey. We used the Internet to find the times of a bus and a train to take us to Sandysea. We got up early and walked to the bus stop. We were all very excited! The bus stop had a shelter so we could stand in the shade rather than in the hot sunshine. The bus arrived on time and had a wide door and low step so it was easy to get the baby s buggy onto the bus. The bus was very clean and had comfortable seats, my son thought it was great! The bus took us straight to the train station. When we arrived we thanked the driver and she said, Have a nice day! At the train station the departures board told us our train would be on Platform 3. There was a lift to take us up to the bridge over the tracks, so we didn t have to carry the baby s buggy up the stairs. We asked the platform attendant if this was the right platform for the Sandysea train and he said, Yes sir, it will be here in two minutes. We got on the train and found some seats near the window. We had our tickets checked by a friendly Southern member of staff. It was fun to eat our snacks as we watched the countryside zoom by. The train arrived right on time, it was quicker than using the car and we didn t have to struggle to find a car parking space! We had a lovely time on the beach and enjoyed a comfortable trip home. Thank you very much for your buses and trains. Yours sincerely, Mr I Smile

6 WORK 2 Mr Smile s Letter (continued) Read Mr Smile s letter, then answer the questions below: 1. Why has Mr Smile written this letter to Go-Ahead? 2. Why did Mr Smile choose to use public transport instead of his car? 3. Why is it better for the environment if Mr Smile and his family use public transport rather than their car? 4. What did Mr Smile think was good about the buses and trains he and his family used? 5. Carrying a baby s buggy can be hard work, what helped the family with this? 6. Do you think the Smile family will use public transport again? Why?

7 WORK 3 Cars or Public Transport? Everywhere you travel you will find public transport of some kind - trains, metro systems, taxis, boats, trams and buses. Buses are great for local journeys and to travel in towns. Trains are good for longer journeys and for travelling from one town to another town. Many people use buses and trains every day and could not manage without them, but there are lots of people with cars who have not travelled on buses and trains at all. 1. Can you explain what makes people travel by car? Arguments FOR using the car Arguments AGAINST using the car 2. Why are buses and trains a good form of transport for everyone? 3. What are the ADVANTAGES of using buses and trains? Write down all of the advantages you can think of as quickly as you can Design a poster: Public transport can be used by everyone! Now use your arguments and advantages to design a poster to encourage people to use buses and trains instead of the car. Include a slogan like It s better by bus to persuade them that public transport is a good way to travel.

8 WORK 4 Problems and solutions Sometimes there are problems on the buses and trains. Go-Ahead works hard to find answers to the problems so that every passenger enjoys their journey. The answers are called solutions. 1. Can you match the problems to the correct solutions? Look on page 2 at the list of different transport problems that people have and some solutions offered by Go-Ahead. Draw a line to join them up. 2. Can you think of any other problems people might have with public transport? 3. Can you think of any solutions to these problems? 4. Can you think of any more ways that public transport could be made better?

9 WORK 4 Problems and solutions (continued) Problems Shoppers in towns want to be able to shop at any time. People with disabilities have different needs. Some people like students, live on a budget. This means they have to be careful about how much money they spend. Some people cannot drive cars. Travelling can be difficult for parents with small children and for people with bags and luggage. Older people may need some help getting on and off the bus. Passengers want to feel safe when they travel on the bus and train. Passengers want to know if their bus or train is delayed. People want to look after the environment and use less fuel, like petrol when they travel. Solutions Buses and trains travel to most villages and towns, helping people to get around. Bus and train drivers have special eco-training to help them use less fuel when operating their vehicles. Passengers can look at the display boards at stations and on buses, and also use Twitter or Facebook to see when the next train or bus will arrive. Buses and trains run frequently, from early morning until late at night. Discounted rail fares, bus passes, Smartcards and special discounts for students help passengers save money when they travel. There is lots of space on the bus for bags and buggies and young children can travel free. Passengers can use a special card on some of our buses and trains to show when they need a little extra help or time to get on or off. Bus drivers are trained to help all passengers and wide doors and low floors make travel easier. Friendly staff at the station and on the buses and trains look after passengers and CCTV cameras keep a lookout too!

10 A-C Glossary Adverts/ Advertisements Affordable Bicycle Budget Buggy Bus Bus fare Bus pass Bus route Bus service Bus shelter Bus stop Bus ticket Bus timetable Bus trip Car CCTV Children Clean Comfortable These are notices displayed on buses, trains and at stations which try to sell you things or encourage you to do something. When you have enough money to pay for something. A way to travel which only has two wheels. When you have a set amount of money to spend on different things. A chair on wheels that parents use to carry young children. A large vehicle which carries people from one place to another for money. The amount of money paid for one journey on the bus. A special ticket which lets you travel without buying a ticket for every journey. The roads and bus stops that the bus visits on its journey. A bus route with its own number. A small building at a bus stop which stops passengers getting cold and wet when they wait for a bus. Special places with a pole or a bus shelter where the buses will stop. A small piece of paper that shows you have paid your fare. A time-plan which shows when all the buses arrive and depart. A journey using the bus. A small motor vehicle which can usually only carry four people. This stands for closed-circuit television. It is a small camera that films and records movement so if there is a problem on the bus or the train we can look back and see what happened. Young people who pay a lower fare on the bus. Well taken care of and washed. Pleasant and relaxing. Commuter A person who travels by bus or train each day.

11 C-O Glossary Concessionary ticket Congestion Convenient Customer Double-decker Driver Easy Access bus Environment Express bus Fare Ferry Frequency Integrated transport Journey Low cost fare Low floor bus Metro system Minibus Noise Outward journey A special ticket which allows you to travel at a lower fare. Traffic jams which cause delays. Something which suits what you want and causes no bother. Someone who pays for a service. Bus passengers are customers. A bus with two levels. The person responsible for driving the bus/train. He/she is responsible for the safety of the passengers. A specially designed bus that makes it easy for passengers to get on and off. The place where we all live, which we all want to keep clean and healthy. A bus which only stops at certain places on the route. The amount of money you pay for one journey. A boat which carries you across water for a fare. How often the buses/trains run. Combining buses, trains, metros, trams and ferries so that they can all work together. Travelling from one place to another. Low fares designed to help special groups of people. A bus with no steps at the entrance to make getting on and off easier. A system of trains which run mainly in towns with many of its stations underground. A small bus used on routes where there are fewer passengers. All the sounds we hear. Too much noise is a form of pollution. The journey from the start, to any point on the route, towards your destination.

12 P-S Glossary Parking Pass Passenger Platform Pollution Public transport Reduced rate Relaxed Return journey Return ticket Route Scholar s pass Season Ticket Service Shopper Single-decker Single ticket Smartcard Solution Moving into a space so that the vehicle can stop safely. A special ticket which allows a passenger onto the bus without giving the driver any money. A person who has paid to travel on a bus/train. A raised area where people get on and off a train. Anything which spoils the environment. Buses, trains and other transport methods, when passengers pay to travel. A special low fare available for some people. Something that makes you feel happy and stops you worrying. The second half of the journey when you return to the place you started from. A ticket that takes you to your destination and back. All the places/stations that the bus/train will visit/call at on its journey. A special bus pass for children going to school. A ticket bought by regular travellers which saves them money on a train journey. A bus/train on a particular route/line, which has its own special number departing at a particular time. A person going to town to visit the shops. A bus with only one level. A ticket that will get you there, but won t get you back. A small plastic card with an electronic chip that you can use instead of paper tickets. The answer to a problem.

13 S-Z Glossary Station Subsidised Tactile map Taxi Ticket Inspector Ticket Office/ Travel Centre Timetable Top deck Traffic jam Tram Train Transport Transport network Travel pass Trolley bus Visit Wheelchair Where you go to catch the train or bus. Sometimes the government gives money to help bus companies provide some bus services. A map for people with eyesight problems that they can touch and read with their fingers. A car and driver which can be hired for a journey. A person that checks that you have the correct ticket while you are travelling. A place where you can get information about buses/trains and buy tickets. Information giving all the arrival and departure times for the bus or train. The upper level of a double-deck bus. A hold-up in town when all the traffic stops moving. Looks like a mix of a train and a bus. It travels on tracks through some towns. A long vehicle with an engine at the front and carriages behind. Any means of travel which carries passengers and goods. All the different kinds of transport looked at as a whole. A special ticket that allows you to travel for a period without buying a ticket every time. A different kind of bus, run by electric power from overhead lines. A journey to see a person or a place of interest. A chair used by people who have difficulty walking. GA1502-Southern-KS2-WS-[KR]