November 2017 bus news - new smartcards etc

a few bits..

TM Travel bus 30 - new timetable being launched with buses every 20 minutes in the daytime (this route runs City-Handsworth-Beighton-Crystal Peaks and is currently every 30 minutes)

TM Travel bus 294 (Gunstones Bakery workers service) - withdrawn. Stagecoach 43 available as an alternative.

See http://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com for timetables.

--------------------------------

First South Yorkshire are getting new ticket machines - Doncaster w/c 12th November, Sheffield w/c 19th November

- adult day tickets will have a QR code printed that will need scanning when you board

- adult weekly tickets will all be loaded onto smart cards

- tickets issued on the smartphone app will have QR codes that will need scanning when you board

- Children aged 11+ MUST scan their pass. Day and weekly child tickets will all be loaded onto their passes as smart card tickets.

- Children aged under 11 without a concessionary pass will still get a paper ticket (endorsed only valid for under 11 years old). Daily tickets will contain a QR code that will need scanning when boarding. Weekly tickets will be issued onto a smart card.

Passengers without a smart card wanting a weekly ticket need to buy a blank smart card for 50p which can then be reused.

More info: https://www.firstgroup.com/south-yorkshire

-------------------------------------------------

New Supertram timetable from late January

trams have been suffering poor punctuality at certain times now for a while due to road traffic congestion, especially in areas like Hillsborough, that is much worse than when the current tram timetable was produced 15 years ago. The new timetable will have extra running time added in where delays are common and extra waiting time between trips at termini is to be added. Due to the extra resource required with the round trip taking longer, the daytime service is to be reduced from every 10 minutes to every 12 minutes (but should reliably turn up every 12 minutes rather than a 20 minute wait followed by 2 trams coming together!). The peak time commuter service will still be every 10 minutes and there are no changes to the Purple route frequency. See here for more on this: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/news/yorkshire/2017/october/st-new-timetable-for-2018

Due to the change to the Yellow route tram timetable, Stagecoach bus will be amending the timetable of bus SL1 and SL1a to match up with the new tram times, they are currently consulting online on how the new timetable will serve Stocksbridge. See https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/yorkshire/sl1consultationoct17

----------------------------------------------------------

Sheffield-Lincoln railway line : Sunday service

A much improved Sunday timetable is being launched in December with a morning service introduced and trains running hourly. See http://www.northernrailway.co.uk

So but why should someone have to pay for a card that the bus company are forcing you into?! Absoultley barmy

Unusually for Andy, he forgot to mention that the cards are 'free' until 31.12.17

One thing that surprises me, unless it's in future plans, is the ommission of the ability to 'buy' tickets online. I appreciate this would probably mean personalised cards, but it works well - I have one for Brighton and Hove Buses (Go-Ahead), and it works brilliantly.

So but why should someone have to pay for a card that the bus company are forcing you into?! Absoultley barmy

Maybe because the cards are reusable yet people still get on board purchase a weekly card then throw it away at the end of the week only to purchase a new one the following week instead of reusing them

Unusually for Andy, he forgot to mention that the cards are 'free' until 31.12.17

 

One thing that surprises me, unless it's in future plans, is the ommission of the ability to 'buy' tickets online. I appreciate this would probably mean personalised cards, but it works well - I have one for Brighton and Hove Buses (Go-Ahead), and it works brilliantly.

Stagecoach already sell smart card tickets online.

First currently do online sales for weekly tickets via their smartphone app and that will continue, they sell the 28 day tickets online but at the moment a scratch card ticket gets mailed out.

The item on the First website suggests scratch cards are to be phased out, which implies they are likely to be moving onto selling smart cards online. This does actually require quite a complex back office system. The Stagecoach set up has a back office that links on board ticket machines, their website, contactless debit card payments and smart cards all together.

---------- Post added 11-11-2017 at 15:47 ----------

So but why should someone have to pay for a card that the bus company are forcing you into?! Absoultley barmy

Nobody is being forced - you can buy single or day tickets as paper tickets but the weekly smart cards save money.

You only pay the 50p once then you keep the card and reuse it. It costs bus companies about £1 per blank card to produce so they are making a loss only charging 50p! Smart cards have been used for Travelmaster products and on Stagecoach for a couple of years or so now, this change is extending use to First's tickets.

Its similar to the carrier bag charge in shops - designed to encourage reuse rather than getting a new one every time.

---------- Post added 11-11-2017 at 15:50 ----------

Unusually for Andy, he forgot to mention that the cards are 'free' until 31.12.17

 

Indeed as part of the roll out you can get your first smart card free this and next month.

I'm not sure if that only applies if you buy a First week ticket as they already charge for new smart cards for buying Travelmaster products (such as Citywide).

---------- Post added 11-11-2017 at 15:52 ----------

ps in the case of child tickets the concessionary passes are smart cards to the kids will already hold one - the ticket will be loaded directly onto their pass rather than a seperate card.

Stagecoach already sell smart card tickets online.

 

First currently do online sales for weekly tickets via their smartphone app and that will continue, they sell the 28 day tickets online but at the moment a scratch card ticket gets mailed out.

 

The item on the First website suggests scratch cards are to be phased out, which implies they are likely to be moving onto selling smart cards online. This does actually require quite a complex back office system. The Stagecoach set up has a back office that links on board ticket machines, their website, contactless debit card payments and smart cards all together.

 

I understand the need for a back-office system- I've seem the B&H Buses setup - but the point I was making is that it is possible. Looking at Firsts West of England (Bristol/Bath) site, where they trialed smartcards, they already have the capability, so maybe at a later date they will introduce an online top-up facility for Yorkshire.

Stagecoach already sell smart card tickets online.

 

First currently do online sales for weekly tickets via their smartphone app and that will continue, they sell the 28 day tickets online but at the moment a scratch card ticket gets mailed out.

 

The item on the First website suggests scratch cards are to be phased out, which implies they are likely to be moving onto selling smart cards online. This does actually require quite a complex back office system. The Stagecoach set up has a back office that links on board ticket machines, their website, contactless debit card payments and smart cards all together.

 

I understand the need for a back-office system- I've seem the B&H Buses setup - but the point I was making is that it is possible. Looking at Firsts West of England (Bristol/Bath) site, where they trialed smartcards, they already have the capability, so maybe at a later date they will introduce an online top-up facility for Yorkshire.

 

They clearly have the infrastructure for smart cards, its whether that is linked to their e-shop I guess.

 

Given the comments on their news story about phasing out the scratch cards, I assume there is some development work going on for online.

 

I get the impression that m-ticketing on the smartphone app has been the preferred direction previously.

 

I think a real revolution in smart card ticketing would be the London style pay-as-you-go facility rather than season type tickets. That is where you have prepayment loaded on (or a contactless debit card) and it charges you for a single ticket each time but caps the bill at the price of the relevant day pass, giving you the peace of mind that you've had the best value ticket for the journeys you made. That is of course so much more complicated when multiple operators are involved sharing revenue - in London its all just Transport for London.

 

Probably the most important thing for people to note with First's new ticket machines is regarding child travel - all child tickets (except under 11s) will be smart and loaded directly onto their concessionary pass. As well as meaning kids won't need seperate paper tickets, it also enforces the requirement to hold a concessionary entitlement pass to get the concessionary fare.

 

I also think it will be interesting to see how it goes with scanning all those QR codes on paper tickets and the app.

TM Travel bus 294 (Gunstones Bakery workers service) - withdrawn. Stagecoach 43 available as an alternative.

Will the Stagecoach 43 operate on the same timetable as the 294?

I often catch the 294 around 6am to work. Will the 43 offer the same service?

Will the Stagecoach 43 operate on the same timetable as the 294?

 

I often catch the 294 around 6am to work. Will the 43 offer the same service?

There are no changes to the 43 which already provide an early morning journey from Sheffield Centre to Dronfield. https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/Timetables/Yorkshire/Chesterfield/43%2044%20WEB%20Final%2009.17.pdf

The 294 was on borrowed time after Gunstones bakery withdrew the subsidy and reduced their staff numbers, I understand the 294 carries very few passengers these days and has been losing money for a while.

There are no changes to the 43 which already provide an early morning journey from Sheffield Centre to Dronfield.

 

The 294 was on borrowed time after Gunstones bakery withdrew the subsidy and reduced their staff numbers, I understand the 294 carries very few passengers these days and has been losing money for a while.

There would only be 3 or 4 people on the 294 when I would catch it at 6am. Looks like there won't be a bus to get me from Norton area into town for 6:30am any more.

There would only be 3 or 4 people on the 294 when I would catch it at 6am. Looks like there won't be a bus to get me from Norton area into town for 6:30am any more.

Bus 1 might be the one for you then https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/timetables/sheffield/972.htm

Bus 1 might be the one for you then https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/timetables/sheffield/972.htm

Thanks, but I'm pretty sure the number 1 won't get me into the town centre in time to start work at 7am. Maybe I will have to see what busses go from Meadowhead into town?