Vouchers instead of change on Sheffield busses

[alternageek 10]

I always thought it was an unspoken rule, that if you didnt have exact change, or needed to find your money, you pulled out of the queue and went to the back to make sure you found your money or there was change there.

 

Am I wrong for thinking that?

 

The last time I rode the bus, was given change back, no voucher (this was last week) and my other half got the bus yesterday and was handed back change as well. These were buses on Chesterfield Rd.

[NERVY-OWL 197]

I always thought it was an unspoken rule, that if you didnt have exact change, or needed to find your money, you pulled out of the queue and went to the back to make sure you found your money or there was change there.

 

Am I wrong for thinking that?

 

The last time I rode the bus, was given change back, no voucher (this was last week) and my other half got the bus yesterday and was handed back change as well. These were buses on Chesterfield Rd.

 

If the driver has change he'll give it, the change voucher isn't replacing giving change, it's only used if there isn't any to give

[Alitheo 10]

Thank god they don't give vouchers out in instead of change in other areas where the public pass over money for a service, like the supermarket, the pub, petrol stations, newsagents and the like, but this is Wurst Bus we are talking about. This bus company want ticketless travel but do not want to invest in the equipment to be able to make it ticketless. Doing so would eat into their profits unlike London where ticketless travel is available to it's regular users in the form of the Oyster card. I bet it gave you a nice warm feeling issuing that 10p voucher Nervy. Sad people bus drivers!

[Nem88 10]

Interestingly enough, why does the attitude that the consumer is responsible for tending the correct amount of currency for these services exist at all?

 

I can't think of any other goods or services we buy where this attitude exists - we don't walk into shops and are expected to hand over the correct change, even access fee's for private or public events carry around a bag 'o change.

 

Obviously there may be a practicality issue with keeping a large amount of change on a bus - personally I don't know how often the chance to re count a float exists, it may be not often at all.

Another issue could be the time taken to calculate and hand over change.

 

So there's are issues - but why is the customer responsible for 'fixing' issues a private company has in the delivery of it's service?

 

I work with back end IT, and if we have a utilization problem we don't go 'Hey guys, if you just avoid using this site/app/etc at peak times then the service will run smoother, thanks!'. While it would work, we open our pockets and resolve the issue.

[edit] This made me think of the recent ddos on Sony's PSN, and I laughed a little inside. [/edit]

 

Not saying people should be ignorant and handing over notes for the sake of it - getting change where possible within a reasonable amount of disruption and forward planning is a good thing, but ultimately the issue is on the companies to mitigate not their consumers.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Nem88

[Tyranna 10]

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:

 

I don't use the buses myself, but this sounds like the kind of scheme that they use in many other European countries, such as France, the Netherlands, Austria and Sweden lol:hihi:

[muckymurphy 10]

i seldom use buses but sometimes it can be a hard to avoid especially if i have to go into town or visit another place where parking is expensive and patrolled by the hitler youth.

i get an all day saver which is cheaper than paying seperately for the four bus journeys i sometimes need to take. sadly, i have often completed my journeys before lunch and the ticket is wasted as i cant legally pass it on to any bus user.

bus driver should not need to give change. when i use a self service till at a supermarket i put my cash in the slot and it issues my receipt and change (sometimes in 5p's and copper) no need for humans.

[NERVY-OWL 197]

Thank god they don't give vouchers out in instead of change in other areas where the public pass over money for a service, like the supermarket, the pub, petrol stations, newsagents and the like, but this is Wurst Bus we are talking about. This bus company want ticketless travel but do not want to invest in the equipment to be able to make it ticketless. Doing so would eat into their profits unlike London where ticketless travel is available to it's regular users in the form of the Oyster card. I bet it gave you a nice warm feeling issuing that 10p voucher Nervy. Sad people bus drivers!

 

A bit of difference in a shop and a bus though isn't there:rolleyes: and no it didn't give me a warm feeling but better than giving her a free ride then an inspector gettiing on at next stop, I'm not risking my job for anyone. If people don't want a change voucher then they should get on with the right money and it stops those intentionally getting on with a 20 pound note at 6 in the morning expecting the driver to let them on free.

Of course the bus companies could just go back to how it was and let the driver leave the change at the depot for the passenger to collect, I'm sure the person who got the 10p voucher would of preferred to that

Edited September 17, 2014 by NERVY-OWL

[Elmambo 25]

For goodness sake ! A bus company is a profit making business, a lucrative one if the owners of Stagecoach are anything to go on. They are not doing us a favour, they are making money out of us. Bus fares are not cheap, what is wrong with decent customer service. Why should they not provide change ? Because it is inconvenient, is not an excuse for poor service.

[steamnratbag 10]

Erm they are introducing an oyster card for south yorkshire called a smart card

 

http://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/smartcard/

 

Day savers etc will be added soon

 

And as for change - I collect it in a dish so if I have to use a bus I can take some with me

[sheffbag 230]

Other major cities manage to provide change, I don't understand why Sheffield should be different, London did before the Oyster card. The fact that they're going ahead with this without giving people the option of using prepaid flexible credit just makes Sheffield look backwards and these companies look greedy.

 

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?

Edited September 17, 2014 by sheffbag

[Deerobe 10]

 

Other major cities manage to provide change, I don't understand why Sheffield should be different, London did before the Oyster card. The fact that they're going ahead with this without giving people the option of using prepaid flexible credit just makes Sheffield look backwards and these companies look greedy.

 

No they don't. In Birmingham you put your fare in a box and it prints your ticket. If your fare is £1.90 and you put £2.00 in the box you do not get any change.

[BHRemovals 10]

I've never heard of this b4