THIS column never ceases to voice its wonder at the queues snaking out of our fuel stations – despite the soaring price of petrol.

Last week, I set a record for my tiny motor when, after finally getting a space at the packed pumps, it cost me more than £60 to fill up.

But is there any real mystery to this in Bucks after years of failed strategies to get people using public transport instead?

Last week, even Bucks County Council appeared to give up the fight by announcing it plans to cut £465,000 in bus subsides, thereby reducing Sunday and evening services. It is also dumping £90,000 on promoting buses and timetables.

Can’t really blame councillors on this occasion, nor can we blame the bus companies for their failure to shift people’s mentality away from cars.

The fault lies with central government for failing to invest in a joined-up cheap and effective transport system that actually works for the public.

Take the example of our new Aussie reporter Kieran Banks, featured above.

Kieran, who worked for three years on a local paper in Queensland has been living in Kilburn, a relatively manageable public transport distance from High Wycombe if all worked well.

However, he has encountered a number of difficulties. Firstly, the combined cost of tube, train and bus is a princely £21 per day – an awful lot to young workers.

Secondly, buses do not always link with train services, meaning it’s hard to be on time.

“I arrived in Beaconsfield, got off the train but found the bus left at the same time, meaning I missed it,” he told me. “I can’t understand why it’s not linked up better than this, because commuters are left waiting around 20 minutes for the next bus.”

In most other countries the system is far better co-ordinated.

But Kieran’s third shock has come in the shape of the different bus services in High Wycombe. He buys a return ticket to get him back to the station but then has to wait for the correct company’s buses to arrive.

“It’s really frustrating to have to watch the other company’s bus go past, while I have to wait 20 minutes for the right bus,” he said. “I tried to get onto a different company’s bus but was told I couldn’t use my return ticket and I had to wait.

“Why can’t they come to an agreement to share the tickets?”

Kieran also discovered another thing that irked me whenever I have taken buses in Wycombe: the price varies from day to day, presumably because of the different companies.

So, in conclusion, however much fuel goes up, there’s not an alternative in Bucks. Central government, which has on one hand let us down woefully on public transport, can tax us as much as it likes on fuel while knowing we are always going to pay up.

If it wasn’t so sickening for non-car drivers, it really would be quite funny.