Success of the Union
Part of the success that made the United Stars of the Galaxy what it is today.
Are these Union’s core policies. The Communication Act of 2223 (OTT) and the
related Travel Assistance Act of 2224 (OTT) .
These policies are aimed to integrate every member species and community in a tight communications net and allow every Union citizen to travel very cheap to any place within Union space [1]
The Travel Act requires that the government provides the means of cheap travel to any Union community. [2]
Out of the TAA developed the Union Space Bus service.
It was to realize the vision and plan set forth in the Travel Assistance Act providing all citizens cheap, affordable travel connections across the entire Union space.
Every Planet, every occupied deep space station, every moon and colony to be reacheable via space bus.
Space buses are reliable, relative slow space ships with only rudimentary passenger comforts.[3]
The space bus program was created to give a student with little money the opportunity to travel anywhere in order to participate in student exchange programs [4] or visit friends and family.
To enable Union wide tourism.
So Grandparents, uncles and aunts could visit family and of course to enable small business with cheap means of transportation.
A ticket that would take a citizen from Terra all the way to Distant Shores station in the Andromeda galaxy costs no more than 800 credits. ( a distance of over 3 million light years)
Of course such a trio would take almost a year and require many stops and switching connecting lines.[5]
Farmers and small business owners able to take a container of produce or wares to one of the large market hubs
There are many corporations operating the space bus lines. All are heavily subsidized and receive additional government moneys for every passenger transported. Space busses are usually long cylindrical space ships with 4 decks.[6] There are no individual cabins but only rows of seats that can be converted to beds or to seat units accommodating almost any life form. Basic food service is offered on longer legs and some busses have a restaurant or bar aboard. There are no classes or different levels of service. It is the same to everyone.
[1] restricting it to Union Citizens was added as an amendment to the Space Bus Act in 3912 OTT
[2] restrictions do apply to far distant communities outside consecutive Union space, communities and colonies established without BoCA involvement. Communities that are smaller than 100,000 individuals.(see → Distant Community Connections )
[3] Since Space Bus service is heavily subsidized by the Union government, no luxury accomodations are to be offered in order to make the service equal to anyone using it.
There are special space busses with separate compartments servicing Union members with special environmental needs. (See ---> Takkian Amendment)
[4] Union School Student - Exchange program
[5] This trip would include a passage on the Bridge train connection and included in the ticket price
[6] Space bus sizes vary and are usually much smaller in the fringe regions, or much bigger for the long distance lines.