I can remember cash registers with glass domes where the value would pop up like a flag as a bell rang. I can remember air tubes that would carry cash to a back office. I can also remember the first electronic tills on the High Street and, obviously, EPOS scanner technology. All these revolutions took place without any media interest.
“Please bear with us…” always seems an odd plea
I recall arcane bus ticket equipment and the transition to ETMs. Neither were the media interested. Then came smartcards. The industry is more prone to shouting about such a new revolution. But not everyone’s delighted. The usual Brighton Naysayers are again out in force (even though Brighton & Hove’s machines are yet to be card-enabled). We report Honest John style on their views.“Nice story but no effort as the buses are now slower due to the slower ticket machines”
So not true. Try waiting behind the passenger who hands over a Twenty for a £2 fare. Or a woman rummaging in her purse for the correct change. It frees driver time, every time. Just glance at London. Who pays a bus fare there, as everyone speeds through...
“Pity he doesn’t deal with the basics, like stopping his staff throwing their fag ends in the road outside the depot on the Lewes Road”
Fortunately, “he” [RF] has stopped most of his smoking passengers doing the same on the top decks of his buses. Now that really *was* anti-social.
“Just something else for Mr Lemon to whinge on about I suppose”
His turn’ll come. But may be it’s The Big L that needs to concentrate on some of the basics, I don’t know.
“I really hope they get the billing right and don’t end up over charging people otherwise it’ll die before it gets started”
Likelihood? Zero.
“I am very pleased that what has been available in Tenerife for decades is due (at last) to arrive here!”
Well, bully for you and bully for Tenerife. A little more complicating in a nation of 51mil people with a tad more “guaguas” (buses) over here than there. Not to mention Scotland & Wales.
“Try improving customer service/friendliness among their staff also better drivers needed instead of driving buses like dodgems try slowing down instead of slamming on brakes”
Phew! Try punctuating a sentence. Harsh braking can be an urban disease. But I suspect that the commenter might actually be surprised were he actually to board a bus.
“I expect the fares will rise… to pay for these machines”
Why? It might even stabilise fares for a while.
“Other bus companies have had [these machines] for decades”
Decades? Where exactly. London? Not decades but since 1998. It’s regime predisposes towards technology such as this. That regime, for better or worse, also costs Londoners dearly.
“Only reason to introduce these cards is that the bus company gets large amounts of your money before any service is even rendered”
No one ever complained about upfront payments for season tickets. If the smartcard gives you more journeys for your money, surely everyone wins.
“[Cash fares will go up more] which is of course a nice little earner to fleece those who are occasional users”
Makes sound economic sense to encourage people to see the benefits of regular bus use. Been happening since the first season tickets. Besides, you don’t need to use London’s buses regularly to benefit from an Oyster.
“They should have introduced Oyster all over the country as that is a system which is tried and tested and known to work”
And this is a government wish, supported by a BSOG uplift. And then the technology will become redundant as things move on…
12 comments:
sorry to be a pedant, but...
a winger plays for a rugby team, a whinger complains repeatedly in an irritating manner.
Good blog, though!
Perhaps 'twas a deliberate pun by our friend Busing? Playing the "winger" and "winging" some ideas! (-:
Mention of teneriffe reminds me that last time i was there they built a lovely new large garage to house the buses down a narrow road behind my hotel.trouble was they did not leave enough room for a bus to turn in .Hows that for instant re development -they knocked it down and started again.
If B&H has adopted what is becoming common elsewhere, ENCTS passes must now be touched in to register.
Initially, that is slow as the holders get used to doing this. But from observation, I'd say 1 in 3 has to have driver intervention to get the pass to work, which does indeed slow the bus down, particularly compared to their previous use as a flash pass.
The main problem with the new VIX ERG ticket machines is that some passengers are used to pulling a ticket to tear it off, whereas the new machines cut the ticket for them. By pulling before it has cut, one merely pulls the roll through. Elsewhere drivers have already learned to hand the cut ticket to passengers to avoid this problem.
Does B&H offer change vouchers as other bus companies do ? Remarkable how quickly some small change is found by passengers if offered a voucher.
As Busing alludes to there is a vocal minority in Brighton that enjoys stirring things up every time B&H are in the news for whatever reason. I use buses in Brighton and there really is nothing to complain about - buses are frequent, clean, modern and well-presented, drivers are friendly and the marketing and information is second to none. Much of the complianing AFAICT is orchestrated by the local taxi drivers [of whom there are far too many IMO and the driving standards are remarkable :-) ]. Most passengers have season or day tickets, there really isn't a great deal of fare-taking at stops these days. At least the whingers haven't picked up that the new tickets machines are replacing machines that were new themselves only a few years ago!
Anon at 10.12 clearly uses B & H buses on a regular basis, as indeed do I. He is correct in stating that the (few) anti-B & H whingers tend to be a group of vociferous taxi drivers plus, of course, the Big Lemon supporters. Both these groups have their own agendas and like to try to drown out the 99% who feel that B & H do an excellent job.
0813 Apologies fatbusbloke!
I see the heading has changed to whinger (-:
Just like I had said a few months ago Veolia Transport Cymru is now in a restructuring process. The Local Authorities must think they are going to pull out if they are so desperate for other bidders for contracts.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12900079
"“Pity he doesn’t deal with the basics, like stopping his staff throwing their fag ends in the road outside the depot on the Lewes Road”
Fortunately, “he” [RF] has stopped most of his smoking passengers doing the same on the top decks of his buses. Now that really *was* anti-social."
As someone who lives on a main road, and is always clearing up fag ends thrown by the ignorant from my front garden, I cannot accept your glossing over of this seriously annoying topic.
You evidently don't understand the issues with Oyster. It's not free (a card costs £10, plus £3 to activate it) before you get any value out of it.
Most visitors to London don't bother with the buses simply because the tube map is everywhere, but trying to get a workable map of bus routes is an effort. So the choice is £13 plus fares of £1.90 or £2.50 (depending on time of day) or £4 a trip on the tube/£2.20 a ride on buses (if you can work out where they are going and how long it'll take you).
Doesn't sound like any sort of good deal to me.
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