Vouchers instead of change on Sheffield busses

[Zamo]

Do they?

Go to any parking machine at the side of the road and pay with a card or a note.

 

Even in sheff centre go to a 500 space car park (victoria quays) and try paying with a card or a note. You will soon have a queue of traffic behind you.

 

That is just another example of how behind the times Sheffield is. In many places you can pay at parking meters using your card and phone if you don't have change - they make use of technology.

 

I note you mention travel cards with capping. What point do you make the cap at? Day, Week or Month and is that against all operators or just one? Dont use London as the example as its all one operator and goes through one back office. If its a day then what about operators who dont have smart readers (and in a de-regulated environment such as south yorkshire you will never reach 100% smart enabled buses) Do you get your cap on them? No becuase you cant work it out.

 

Everyone points to London system and yes London is different but it is different because they have forced the bus companies which TfL own to implement non-cash journeys. SYPTE cannot do that to a commercial operator and never will be able to.

 

And even though I work in the industry and it puts food on my table anyone who says using a smartcard is quicker than using a flashpass travelcard is talking out of their backside. All this rubbish about speeding up travel using smartcards is a load of codswallop.

 

You want the quickest method to get on and get off a bus? visual flashpass. Yes the operators run a revenue risk if the driver doesnt check each individual pass (and they dont with either system smart or flash) but if you had 20 people stood at a bus stop with ENCTS and Smart TravelMasters waiting to board your bus and i was parked behind you with 25 people with old style flash passes i would stake money that i would be pulling away first.

 

Using a smartcard does not make people want to get a bus more and how exactly does it lower costs?

 

London is one company - South Yorkshire (for that is the network, not just Sheffield) is multiple companies

 

. I therefore use public transport when I'm in places like London but not in Sheffield.

 

How would you do it if you were running the PTE or even a bus service? not a trolling comment but a genuine question. What would you do for the potential passenger to get them to use PT?

 

SYPTE have the potential to use the same powers as TFL did to create a joined up public transport network. They chose to go down a different route and the different outcomes are there to be judged.

 

What would I do? The evidence speaks for itself... SYPTE should go down the franchising route and manage operators, and thefore regain the ability to join-up the network, via Quality Contracts.

[Mecky]

Re: First buses and technology. First are too tight to splash out on tension pins to stop their ticket machines from jamming.

[Zamo]

So how often do you use the bus in Sheffield?

How many times have you been issued with a travel voucher, which is what the OP is moaning about?

 

Id think the ambitions of the bus companies is to make money. If they see that investing in a new ticketing system is beneficial on a cost/ benefit basis then I imagine they will do so. I cnat see any point in investing millions unless they are going to get enough back from that system. Their business and am sure they discuss such matters and know how their businesses work. London is an entirely different animal because its far bigger, far wealthier and always been far more integrated.

 

You are right that the logistics are easier in London because it is bigger and more condensed but it doesn't mean it is impossible in less ideal circumstances.

 

It is the very fact that we have separate operators in competition that makes it hard to get join-up, agree a joint strategy and make the business case for investment in new technology. Hence, Sheffield is a decade behind London and the gap continues to grow.

[Lotusflower]

That is just another example of how behind the times Sheffield is. In many places you can pay at parking meters using your card and phone if you don't have change - they make use of technology.

 

 

 

SYPTE have the potential to use the same powers as TFL did to create a joined up public transport network. They chose to go down a different route and the different outcomes are there to be judged.

 

What would I do? The evidence speaks for itself... SYPTE should go down the franchising route and manage operators, and thefore regain the ability to join-up the network, via Quality Contracts.

 

Re my bold.

 

Check your "facts" Zamo.

 

You may discover that suggestions made to effect changes by the PTE in South Yorkshire have come up against flat refusals to cooperate by the two largest operators.

[Olive]

It's a right royal pain having to think about having the right change all the time.

 

For about a year I got the bus to work, so approx. 10 journeys a week at £1.30 a time. It was never worth getting a weekly ticket, as it would have cost about the same as the single fares, plus I tended to get a lift probably a couple of times a week. Also, I didn't want to be stuck with a Stagecoach ticket when the first bus that came along was a First bus (and vice versa).

 

I always tried to have some change, always tried to avoid paying with a note, but it's not always possible. I knew full well what the fare was, but it still wasn't always possible. The rate you go through change when you catch the bus regularly is pretty quick. Not to mention you are forever having to buy things you don't actually want.

 

Typical week: - Get some cash out at the weekend (bus fares pretty much the only thing I needed cash for), spend a tenner on a bar of chocolate, get a fiver, 4 pound coins and about 30p back.

 

Well, that's Monday morning's fare taken care of. Fortunately some pound coins for way home and the next day (assuming some change is given), then back to the shops on Wednesday to break into the fiver. Good job there was a handy corner shop.

 

And so on....

 

I get that drivers have a limited float and can't just "pop over the road" for some change. But people don't have change machines at home, and why the heck should some random shop be responsible for providing change for a bus company's customers?

 

Thankfully I use the tram now, they never have a problem with giving change.

[sheffbag]

That is just another example of how behind the times Sheffield is. In many places you can pay at parking meters using your card and phone if you don't have change - they make use of technology.

 

 

 

SYPTE have the potential to use the same powers as TFL did to create a joined up public transport network. They chose to go down a different route and the different outcomes are there to be judged.

What would I do? The evidence speaks for itself... SYPTE should go down the franchising route and manage operators, and thefore regain the ability to join-up the network, via Quality Contracts.

 

No they dont, they tried that and both major operators said no. the PTE has no power to implement anything of a similar scheme as TfL has done.

you would want quality contracts for every single route in the county (remember its not just Sheffield) under a single PTE operator with services supplied by independant commercial operators through QC in a de-regulated environment

 

Show me a city in the uk never mind an area covered by a PTE or TCA that has this then you may have a case.

[woodmally]

It sounds to me like Stagecoach. As me and my wife had that problem with Stagecoach when we went to Harworth just outside Doncaster.

 

This is getting worse. If the fares were clear as to how much buses charge (like they do with trains) it wouldnt be so bad. However in a lot of cases, unless you catch the bus regular enough, or have a functioning crystal ball then thats unlikely.

 

Also a lot of bus drivers even grumble about taking £5.00! When most fares are about a couple of quid.

[999tigger]

It sounds to me like Stagecoach. As me and my wife had that problem with Stagecoach when we went to Harworth just outside Doncaster.

 

This is getting worse. If the fares were clear as to how much buses charge (like they do with trains) it wouldnt be so bad. However in a lot of cases, unless you catch the bus regular enough, or have a functioning crystal ball then thats unlikely.

 

Also a lot of bus drivers even grumble about taking £5.00! When most fares are about a couple of quid.

 

If you read the thread it was established it was First Bus.

 

How many times have you been issued with a voucher out of how many journeys in the last two years?

[woodmally]

If you read the thread it was established it was First Bus.

 

How many times have you been issued with a voucher out of how many journeys in the last two years?

 

Sorry I didnt have the opportunity to read through the whole thread. As for how many times it was just the once. However the question is not how many times is that if this will be a new thing. As if it is it will be a nightmare for passengers.

[geared]

How are you supposed to know how much change to carry, it's not like the travel costs are properly advertised on the bus stops???

 

Isn't it totally counter productive to make it more difficult and annoying for your customers to use your service??

 

Next time they might just drive and sod the bus off altogether.