Bus & tram commuters - are you buying the best value ticket?

[Grissom 10]

I have the 52 week tram only ticket, bit of paper that's laminated, will I get one of these new fangled scannable tickets sometime ? Got mine via work's season ticket loan scheme, save a few quid by buying it on tesco credit card and getting clubcard points

[sheffbag 227]

Never happen The Smartcard ITSO system is already in use. It will become more useful as more ticketing choices become available. It is similar to Oyster but is more advanced -specifications. In time it will be used on the whole rail network as well.

 

Annie - The ITSO system is not compatable with Oyster, ITSO specification is useless at the best of times becuase it was written so vaguely that the true interoperability function of it doesnt work. For instance Rail has written its own adaptation of the ITSO spec (RSPS3002 if you want to go look it up) and the location codes that it uses are completely different to the ones that the bus service use which means for people in the smartcard industry (i.e me) who have to sit and figure out how to make cards and back office systems work to try and satisfy customer demends a lot more difficult.

 

Its no point posting a link to a spec when (if you know the spec) that the main part of it, Part 8, is not available to the public domain. Its also that good that at the moment they are looking at version 3 of the ITSO spec as it has been noticed just how poor it is.

 

ITSO is not similar to Oyster at all, Oyster is a closed system using smart technology. ITSO was originally designed to be taken everywhere (for instance the "Key card" is now allowed at certain London stations because they have had ITSO readers fitted but you cant bring an Oyster card up here to Sheffield and use it on an ITSO platform)

 

The rail network will eventually open up to ITSO but based on my own dealings with getting ITSO cards working at Leeds station plus the governments reluctance to put money into it (which is the main reason why people are doing it) but it is a LONG way away.

 

The key advantage of Oyster is capped fares but that works because its one company TfL who are operating the fare structure. Wont work up here in a deregulated system, i've been there and tried that already 5 years ago. If you have a single operator system then yes you can have an "Oyster" type system with capped fares but to do it across the whole network, not a chance.

 

---------- Post added 24-12-2013 at 10:40 ----------

 

reliant on a public transport system

When you live in a City you cannot expect to go whenever you want it to go via which ever way you want to go without using more than one form of transport. In a City people will choose which method is best for them. We all use feet and to a greater or lesser extent - car, bus, tram, bike and taxi. People who restrict themselves from mode(s) of transport are the ones that are not flexible or can go where you want it to go whenever you want it to go via which ever way you want to go.

 

The comment was against someone saying that you save 100's of pounds for not having a car. You are then reliant on public transport to go anywhere that does not involve walking or using a bike (which is hardly appropiate for say, doing the shopping, or going out for the day anywhere)

 

Not everyone on Sheff Forum lives in the city and has the tram available to them and even then it is public transport.

 

Example - Its a Sunday, i have an hourly bus service and i wish to go to say Chatsworth because its a nice day and i want to take the kids and then maybe go somewhere for tea after. If i didnt have a car (which was the reason for the original post i put) then i would be reliant on co-ordinating the bus routes together (if they matched up, remember i have an hourly service on a Sunday to sheffield to get the bus out so i could be waiting some time in Sheff for my connection). then to come back do the same restricting my time at Chatsworth and have a limited selection of venues to go for tea because of the logistics in getting back home.

 

OR i can get up when i want, be at chatsworth in 40 minutes from leaving the house, go back a different way if i wished leaving whenever i want and going via wherever i want.

 

THAT was my point. Im not saying excluding any other form of transport at all where it is a better option. If where i was going was walkable then i would walk (and again not use public transport) it was the poster i was replying to that was eliminating a form of transport (car) and i was showing that if you do (as in the example above) you are reliant on it so you are right, those that restrict themselves from a form of transport do not have the flexibiltiy. thanks for backing my point up.

[random0082 10]

What's the difference:

 

Also, if you wanted to get to Leeds Monday to Friday how much would you have to pay for an additional ticket?

 

Thanks

 

Shaun

 

Leeds is £6.90 a day return ticket on National Express. Best cheap way to do it, i do it everyday for work usually

[The Giraffe 10]

Yep it's in the FAQ section. Smartcards can only be activated on buses

 

 

 

I have a smartcard for the tram - I buy it online and activate it online for the date I want it to start...

 

Just "renewed" it online for the tram for the 19th December

[nohands 10]

If you are thinking of using the tramlink, I would not recommend it. Often takes over an hour into town from Stocksbridge. The trams wait for the bus to stop at the traffic lights and then move off. Contacting Stagecoach does not help as they do nothing about it.

[Mikes10 10]

This is slightly off topic but is it possible to print on the relevant ticket:

"stagecoach Bus Only"

"Stagecoach Bus & Tram Only"

"First Bus Only"

"All buses"

"All buses & Tram"

 

This would go some way to prevent

a) people genuinely boarding the wrong bus

b) people trying free-load on another bus operators service

c) arguments between the driver and ticket holder on the validity of the ticket.

 

 

This morning I witnessed a someone trying to board a 'First Bus' but was refused access by the driver

but the ticket clearly stated 'Bus & Tram'. However on further investigation the ticket is a Stagecoach

Megarider and only valid for Stagecoach buses and Tram.

 

I got the impression from the conversation between the ticket holder and the driver, the ticket holder

had been allowed to ride on First buses with a Megarider ticket, thus re-enforcing the belief to the

ticket holder that Megarider tickets are valid on First buses, clearly not a conjecture that should be

allowed to develop.

[fox20thc 10]

Trams have been able to upload smart cards since the new machines were introduced in July, must be some out of date info out there somewhere.

 

Thanks AndyC, just ordered my smart card

[GoGo_dancer 10]

If you are thinking of using the tramlink, I would not recommend it. Often takes over an hour into town from Stocksbridge. The trams wait for the bus to stop at the traffic lights and then move off. Contacting Stagecoach does not help as they do nothing about it.

 

This is why we're using P&R instead of the tramlink bus. It's handy if I want to get into town and my Hubby has the car, or if I want to meet the girls in town for a drink and leave the car but I wouldn't use it for commuting to work...takes too long. We can get off the tram, in the car and be home in 15mins.

[LuSiVe 10]

Also just ordered a smart card - like the other guy said probably isn't the best value when I take into account holidays, but it means I don't have to worry about having the cash for a weekly ticket.

[GoGo_dancer 10]

Also just ordered my smartcard

[little tank 10]

Quick question if you buy a yearly pass do you get a refund if punctuality drops below a certain level like on the trains ?

[Hello/Goodby 10]

There is a 'City Wide' 'Daily' and 'Weekly' ticket which is valid on the tram and bus in the Sheffield Zone. This ticket can be bought on any First or Stagcoach transport and used on all First Buses, Stagecoach buses and the Supertram. The weekly costs £17 and the daily costs £4.30.