Smart cards travel South Yorkshire

[vwkittie]

I've been using my Stagecoach smart card for some time now and it works fine, just load my monthly ticket on and I don't have to worry about having change for the bus.

 

Only snag is it takes 2 days for your ticket to load so if you forget you have to dig out change for a day until your new ticket is active. A text reminder would be really helpful so you know your card is about to run out of credit.

 

You can set it up as a recurring order (it's not a Direct Debit) on the Stagecoach website so it just comes out of your account each month and your card is always valid. I do this, I know it's wasteful as there might be a week here and there you don't need it but to know it's always valid and to not have to think about it is great!

 

I'd love it if there was a pay-as-you-go service, use the card and pay up at the end of the month for the journeys you actually made (up to a maximum per day of the cost of a day ticket would make sense), it'd be ideal for irregular users.

[vincentb]

I'd love it if there was a pay-as-you-go service, use the card and pay up at the end of the month for the journeys you actually made (up to a maximum per day of the cost of a day ticket would make sense), it'd be ideal for irregular users.

 

I think pay-as-you-go means something different, but yes I'd like that to happen too. That's how Oyster works in London: you just go on the bus or the tube and if your fares add up to enough then it automatically just charges you for a travelcard instead of the individual journey fares.

[InigoMontoya]

Well...

 

 

 

http://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/smartcard-about/

 

So we arent quite there yet with the paperless world we all dream of.

 

Stagecoach are now capable of reading these cards, both on buses and trams. Dunno about anyone else.

 

Why would anyone but a maniac dream of a "paperless world"?

 

A bit of paper is evidence you've paid for something. A lump of plastic you've no way of reading is an open invitation to whoever supplied you with it to deny they've had your cash.

[sheffbag]

Why would anyone but a maniac dream of a "paperless world"?

 

A bit of paper is evidence you've paid for something. A lump of plastic you've no way of reading is an open invitation to whoever supplied you with it to deny they've had your cash.

 

If you have a NFC phone you can see what is on your card using an app. If not then any TIC can check it for you and its recorded in the back office.

 

But i agree with you on the "paperless world" comment. Only a fool would wish for that

[Andy]

I think pay-as-you-go means something different, but yes I'd like that to happen too. That's how Oyster works in London: you just go on the bus or the tube and if your fares add up to enough then it automatically just charges you for a travelcard instead of the individual journey fares.

 

London has just got better - for a while now we've been able to use our Contactless debit cards to pay our bus fares, and from this month it's being extended to the tubes and most trains too. It still caps on daily and weekly basis so you won't pay more than the cost of a daily or weekly travel card.

 

This is very convenient as there is no need to worry about topping up. On the flip-side, London buses are now the only buses in the country where you cannot pay with cash. They stopped accepting cash because so many people were using Oyster. In the same vain we are likely to see most of our tube station ticket offices close as well.

 

Convenient but at a price...

[vwkittie]

I think pay-as-you-go means something different, but yes I'd like that to happen too. That's how Oyster works in London: you just go on the bus or the tube and if your fares add up to enough then it automatically just charges you for a travelcard instead of the individual journey fares.

 

That sounds really good, I hope we can get that here!

[vincentb]

I think pay-as-you-go means something different, but yes I'd like that to happen too. That's how Oyster works in London: you just go on the bus or the tube and if your fares add up to enough then it automatically just charges you for a travelcard instead of the individual journey fares.

 

That sounds really good, I hope we can get that here!

 

We probably will! On the smartcard website it's got a list of "Coming soon" features including this:

 

We are even developing smartcards that will enable you to load cash on your smartcard which will then be deducted each time you travel, meaning no more digging around for loose change. What's more, the Daily Price Capping feature we are working on can ensure you will never pay more than the equivalent daily ticket for the journeys you've made, meaning you can save money.

[Bilge]

£7.50 is cheaper than a Zone 1&2 London day Travelcard.

 

But the services you can access are not remotely comparably are they? WE UP NORTH are subsidising THEM DOWN SOUTH.

[Guest busdriver1]

But the services you can access are not remotely comparably are they? WE UP NORTH are subsidising THEM DOWN SOUTH.

 

Say that when you see their council tax bills where they have to pay for this.

[boldforester]

Why would anyone but a maniac dream of a "paperless world"?

 

A bit of paper is evidence you've paid for something. A lump of plastic you've no way of reading is an open invitation to whoever supplied you with it to deny they've had your cash.

 

Yes indeed, which is why when you buy a Megarider on your Smartcard they issue a receipt, and you should keep it, because sometimes the card doesn't scan on TRBs .....