Am I the only reader who spent a few moments at Christmas pondering the proposed Snoozeliner bus service [routeone/News/20 December]?
With London house prices driving all but the highest earners into longer and longer commutes and rail season ticket prices limiting mortgage affordability, many are finding their household budgets increasingly stretched.
The Snoozeliner now makes commuting to the capital from the likes of Barrow, Birkenhead or Burnley, where many starter homes still cost less than £50,000, a realistic possibility particularly with fares from just £8.50.
But, like bitcoin valuations is this concept too good to be true?
Simba is a successful mattress manufacturer and its bus design has clearly been created from the inside out, something which Ray Stenning at Best Impressions would no doubt enthusiastically endorse. However, an autumn 2018 roll out might be a little over ambitious, particularly when there is no mention of any chassis manufacturer and the vehicle also appears to be devoid of any wheels.
There is no doubt that the industry will need to step up to the plate in post-Brexit Britain and I would suggest that a more realistic launch date might be April 2019 – two days after we implement Brexit.
Tim Gibson, Leeds
