First's new money making scheme - bus drivers don't carry a change float

[salsafan 10]

I agree. Why rob bus drivers when there are taxi drivers to rob.

Do you realise that it is a very daring thing to hold a man hostage on a bus. It takes a lot of guts and also serious maliciousness.

 

I am actually shocked by the audacity.

[morrisminor 10]

this thread basically illustrates the faultline or divide in perception (and for some the reality) of buses as a service that is essential, and that passengers have no other choice but to accede to the needs or requirments of that comapny; or as a option to travel that the bus companies need to sell to customers as the best way to travel around regardless of whether other options are available.

 

For those that see bus travel as the former, the logistical difficulties involved in providing an unlimited amount of change on what is essentially a mobile payment point mean that the onus is firmly on the passenger to put themselves in a position to be "allowed" to use the service.

 

for those that perceive the latter, it is a case of a company not providing the service they require or should expect, and therefore may not bother using that service. this is obviously not good for profits and patronage; and is the current trend (leaving an ever increasing minority who remain reliant upon an ever decreasing bus service).

 

The question is which party shoudl make the effort? experience shows that efforts made by the bus companies themselves will lead to an improved situation. Not by forcing drivers to carry huge sacks of coins around with them, but by offering better alternatives. In london, this will take a somewhat extreme form - only contactless credit/debit cards will be usable on buses. This is more coercion than offer - but nevertheless bus patronage continues to rise so customers dont seem put off.

 

operators efforts to introduce smartcards and critically make them more attractive than carrying or using cash are to be applauded but the sooner the better. I think they are starting to see that this could have major benefits for them and their customers but it has been a long time in the making (Oyster came in 2003/2004 and within a year the benefits would have been pretty obvious)

[lipschitz 12]

Do bus drivers still carry an unpaid fares slip like they did years ago? If you couldn't pay you could ask for an unpaid fares slip, fill in your details and pay later. If they don't have change they should offer this as an option. But I bet they don't want to wait for their money from you like they expect you to. The unpaid fare slip wasn't very well known about or advertised but I think it had some to do with it being a public service vehicle and you had the right to travel if you needed to so the option was there if you didn't have the fare.

Erm....scratch that....bus companies don't offer a public service anymore! Should have known.