Vouchers instead of change on Sheffield busses

[onewheeldave]

Not really because is the vast majority of cases they give change where possible. Theres only 2 examples of a voucher being issued here and that voucher can be redeemed.

 

How challenged are people if they cant go with a bit of change if they catch the bus rather than take £50 notes? It helps everyone if you have roughly the correct money.

 

It's not due to £50 notes. Often drivers can't deal with a £5 note. On a couple of occasions, I've had 2 £1 coins refused cos the fare was £1.50

 

I've got things to do with my life over than wander around hunting down, collecting and reading documentation showing fares for each bus I may need to get on in the future.

 

I do generally ensure I've got extra change if I'm planning to use a bus, it's not always practical or possible though.

[GLASGOWOODS]

You might want to check your facts before posting

 

Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Cardiff, Birmingham and Dublin all have exact fare only services where you wouldnt even get a voucher as change if you didnt have the correct fare. They are fairly major cities in comparison to Sheffield. Even small cities such as Reading have exact fare only operators. Bet you would find the change after the first time of passing a fiver over for a 1.50 fare and not getting anything back

 

In the states and Canada it is common to not receive change, they dont have prepaid cards.

 

You cite London as giving change pre Oyster, that was not always the case. Some were exact fare only. Lets not foget as well that if you want to use a bus in London now you either have to purchase an Oyster Card first, purchase a Travelcard or use a contactless NFC card as found in debit cards. None of those have the flexibility of cash that you seem to want. You cant use your Oyster card to travel outside london or use it to pay for other things but you can take cash anywhere

 

The technology will come to Sheffield and all other major cities for contactless payment on buses. TfL decided to spend the money in order to force people not to be allowed cash on bus. What do you think about the people who would rather use cash and that its been taken away from them? is it progress to remove the single biggest form of monetary use?

 

If I jump on the bus in Glasgow, my fare is £1.95. If I don't have the correct fare, I throw £2 in the machine (no change given) On occasions I have had only £1.90 in change (5p short) No driver has ever demanded the full fare.

[boldforester]

Why should bus conductors give change???? Your wife made a conscious decision to catch a bus....surely she would have known to have enough change to give to the bus driver....it's not rocket science.

 

The giving of change hinders the bus.....and EXACT FARE should be tendered as it is in other places - I lived in London during the 1980s and if you didn't have exact fare you had to get change and wait for the next bus.

 

I really don't get why you are upset at it....you got the change in the form of a voucher...so use it next time you travel....and have the right change to make up any difference.....simples

 

And please bear in mind that if by VERY LOOSE CHANGE you mean all coppers and small....there is a legal limit to the amount you can tender in one transaction.....I don't think it's much more than 30p in coppers.....so be sensible and give the correct change to avoid having to receive another voucher.

 

Yeah, spot on Julado. When I lived in Cardiff you had to drop the exact money into a machine, and that was nearly 20 years ago!

Hope I'm not on the same bus next time they get on and start counting out the coppers....

 

---------- Post added 19-09-2014 at 11:26 ----------

 

I dont know why people get so hissy about this.

 

Edinburgh, Glasgow and many cities in Europe do not give change on buses and have not for years.

 

You get on, there is a sealed box to put money in and that's it. I learned very quickly after spending some time in Scotland that if a fare was 90p and you only had a £1 coin, it was dropped into a box and full stop.

 

There is no legal requirement to provide change. Many places obviously do chooose to do this for customer service but you have no right to demand it.

 

After many years (....albeit I now drive) of sitting on a bus quietly fuming because some dithery old biddy is there with a £10 note for a 1.20 fare holding everything up... I never have understood why such a system was not put in place years ago.

 

The fact that the Youcard or whatever it was called scheme seemed to fail spectacuarly here amazes me. Having lived in London and using Oyster multiple times a day the speed at which people boarded and alighted buses was just so good.

 

Maybe the usual Sheffielders dont like change mentality had albeit some part to play.

 

Well, Stagecoach do the Smart Card now - there was a really good value introductory offer for it, so I got it online and now I just load it up once a week and that's the only cash transaction that takes place. I do make a point of having my £13.50 ready on the day. Having said that, I don't see very many fellow passengers using them.

Edited September 19, 2014 by boldforester

[woodmally]

Not really because is the vast majority of cases they give change where possible. Theres only 2 examples of a voucher being issued here and that voucher can be redeemed.

 

How challenged are people if they cant go with a bit of change if they catch the bus rather than take £50 notes? It helps everyone if you have roughly the correct money.

 

Exactly and even if they do have change for £5.00 when you give it them its like you have just murdered a kitten. Its not unreasonable to come on with £5.00 or £2.00 now given most fares minimum are £1.00 and thats one fare stage.

[Plain Talker]

Yeah, spot on Julado. When I lived in Cardiff you had to drop the exact money into a machine, and that was nearly 20 years ago!

 

25 years ago I spent a lot of time in Nottingham, and their bus drivers drove from behind the protective screens even back then, and they had the hoppers in which to drop the money for your fare. The drivers weren't permitted to handle the money, and you had to tender correct fare, no change was given, either, so if the fare was 50p, and all you had was a fiver, tough luck.

[geared]

If thats the system in place then thats how it is, fair enough.

 

but our system was one that provides change back, but now it's ambiguous - you might get change, you might have to claim it back from the company, you might get a voucher or some rubbish - it's a right old mess.

 

Pick one system and stick to it, so everyone knows where they stand.

[Alcoblog]

Ha! knew there was a thread about this somewhere ... I caught a First bus from Crookes to town on Friday afternoon. I didn't have the correct change and gave the driver two quid for a £1.70 fare.

 

The driver then said he had no change, so after a strange look from myself (no change on a bus?), I then told him just to keep it (I had no option). He said he could give me some kind of token for the 30p he owed me so I just told him to forget it.

 

I was the only one who got on the bus at that stop, as was the young woman who got on at the next. She wanted to go to town too and was charged £1.70. She gave him some money (presumably £2.00) to which he promptly gave her change ... no mention of him having no cash!

 

As the bus set off, it suddenly dawned on me that I could hear the rattle of loose change from the drivers compartment as the bus bottomed out in the potholes ... what a cheek!

 

Are the bus drivers instructed to pick and choose who they give change to dependent on how attractive they find them, or was this just a one-off?

[timrud]

I'd be complaining about that

[JME52K]

Today my wife caught a bus to the city center and because she did not have the correct fare she was given a voucher instead of change which can only be redeemed as part payment for further travel and is only valid for one month.

Can anyone tell me how long as this been inforce and as it been advertised openly or is it just another money maker for the bus companies.?

From now on we will be paying with VERY LOOSE CHANGE !!!:rant:

 

It's always been a rule that you should tender the correct change. If every person offers a tenner for a £2 fare or whatever, the knock on effect is the bus is late (and then folks complain about that). Bus drivers only have a limited amount of change so if they run out, I would think this is a fair way. Would you rather he didn't allow her on the bus?

London transport now don't accept cash on buses, you have to either buy a ticket before you get on, or use an oyster card. Maybe that's the way forward for Sheffield.

[999tigger]

Exactly and even if they do have change for £5.00 when you give it them its like you have just murdered a kitten. Its not unreasonable to come on with £5.00 or £2.00 now given most fares minimum are £1.00 and thats one fare stage.

 

Are you insane you have just quoted me agreed with it and then posted something totally against what ive just said.