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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2013 20:22:13 GMT
Yes if somebody gets on with a tenner the driver should take it and give them a change voucher that can be redeemed at an oyster outlet. Too easy to be manipulated i.e get a voucher then it gets copied and it'll take time to fill one out anyway. No more time than the arguments take now and people will soon stop trying it on when they realise they're not going to get a free ride, some bus companies already use this system.
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Post by IanF on Apr 14, 2013 20:31:08 GMT
TfL should try and get petrol stations and supermarkets to do oyster top ups, as a lot of petrol stations and supermarkets are open 24 hours and or longer than other top up shops/ outlets. TfL could/should put machines by the side of the road where passengers can top up their oyster cards similar to the cash ones in the center of London, but the oyster card top ups can only be paid for by a credit/debit card, thus reducing the need for maintenance (collecting cash and general servicing). This would be very unpopular, putting cash fairs up to £2.50 or £3.00 so people would be put off with paying cash, also make the buses correct change only. People like myself would be unable to use the machines if they take debit/credit card only as I do not carry mine with me the majority of the time - I prefer to pay with cash myself and I'm sure I can't be the only one. All it needs is machines like at train stations and the ntc's can check and empty them if needed. Or employ a few people to drive round collecting money every few days.
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Post by guybowden on Apr 14, 2013 20:44:57 GMT
People like myself would be unable to use the machines if they take debit/credit card only as I do not carry mine with me the majority of the time - I prefer to pay with cash myself and I'm sure I can't be the only one. All it needs is machines like at train stations and the ntc's can check and empty them if needed. Or employ a few people to drive round collecting money every few days. They already have people emptying them and those people have a habit of parking their little cars at the end of the stop when there is massive streams of traffic coming past you, so you sit there for what feels like an age. I definitely think they should have a warning sound for when someone's oyster is low and also promote the fact that the oyster cards are capped on buses as I'm 99% sure more people will use buses when they know that after their fourth ride it is free!!!
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Post by IanF on Apr 14, 2013 20:48:06 GMT
All it needs is machines like at train stations and the ntc's can check and empty them if needed. Or employ a few people to drive round collecting money every few days. They already have people emptying them and those people have a habit of parking their little cars at the end of the stop when there is massive streams of traffic coming past you, so you sit there for what feels like an age. I definitely think they should have a warning sound for when someone's oyster is low and also promote the fact that the oyster cards are capped on buses as I'm 99% sure more people will use buses when they know that after their fourth ride it is free!!! and the fourth ride is discounted and not everywhere has the oyster top up machines but i think that all major interchanges i.e manned bus stations should have oyster top up.
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Post by snoggle on Apr 14, 2013 21:40:23 GMT
TfL should try and get petrol stations and supermarkets to do oyster top ups, as a lot of petrol stations and supermarkets are open 24 hours and or longer than other top up shops/ outlets. TfL could/should put machines by the side of the road where passengers can top up their oyster cards similar to the cash ones in the center of London, but the oyster card top ups can only be paid for by a credit/debit card, thus reducing the need for maintenance (collecting cash and general servicing). This would be very unpopular, putting cash fairs up to £2.50 or £3.00 so people would be put off with paying cash, also make the buses correct change only. I expect that TfL have already tried to put Oyster sales into supermarkets and petrol stations. I strongly suspect that the level of commission that TfL pays is far too low for those outlets to be interested. They would not want to have extra specialist equipment in their stores / garages plus all the complexity of TfL's ticket products. You could not really restrict the outlets to just PAYG - passengers would want to be able to buy bus passes and Travelcards too. Supermarkets are only interested in things that are low risk and high margin when outside of their core business. I do think that putting machines into bus stations / interchanges is a reasonable idea but they cost a lot of money and are prone to theft / skimming frauds depending on if they take cash / cards. TfL are in the process of getting rid of the existing roadside machines which are simple bits of kits compared to what an Oyster compatible device would be like. TfL's strategy is to get out of "specialist" ticketing equipment and processes as far as it can - hence the emerging push towards bank cards and probably compatible mobile phones. The other element is to try to push auto top up and on line ticket purchases. I think more people would use auto top up if there was more flexibility for people to choose the amount of top up. At present TfL fixes the amount that can be auto topped up at either £20 or £40.
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Post by Volvo on Apr 14, 2013 23:27:07 GMT
I prefer to use cash when I am shopping or buying things generally but on buses I dont use cash anyway
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Post by rambo on Apr 15, 2013 2:20:34 GMT
On the telly today it said that cash only accounts for 1% of transactions and it costs TFL £30 million per year to collect.
I think it's a good idea, and people will have to get used to it.
As for people forgetting to top up, well, FFS, whats next, wipe thier arse for them.........................
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Post by Steve80 on Apr 15, 2013 4:42:26 GMT
I think the second part of your statement is irrelevant as even in built up areas, there are many Oyster outlets that do not open late. I agree with the first bit about whether there any Oyster outlets in places like Downe in the first place. ticketstoplocator.tfl.gov.uk/LocationLocator/ Just a quick search tells me there's a store in Downe so that means that oysters can be sought there Edit: Even Westerham has one Well I took near £50 last saturday on the 407 so I believe it will be a bad idea especially if you look at that link posted by ianf you can see there is one oyster shop in kenley and another in whyteleafe. So if TFL do go ahead and make all buses cash free and these people inbetween these areas have no oyster or no credit on them then I think its very unfair if they are forced to walk all the way to one of these shops just so they can get on a bus. And its not like its just down the road. To give an idea I can do well over 30mph before getting to the next stop as each stop is quite far apart. Also you do get some passengers that generally forget they have no money on their oyster but they are willing to pay. Had two of them on the P13 yesterday and they gave me the correct change. I be amazed if im forced to chuck people off the bus because they don't have any money on their oyster card despite having money in their pocket.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2013 6:24:37 GMT
On the telly today it said that cash only accounts for 1% of transactions and it costs TFL £30 million per year to collect. I think it's a good idea, and people will have to get used to it. As for people forgetting to top up, well, FFS, whats next, wipe thier arse for them......................... I'm afraid this is a poor (and distasteful ) argument, buses are there for everybody and you cannot turn people away because they have no oyster or credit on it. How inconvenient taking cash is for TfL is beside the point, they are running a public service.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2013 6:53:52 GMT
On the telly today it said that cash only accounts for 1% of transactions and it costs TFL £30 million per year to collect. I think it's a good idea, and people will have to get used to it. As for people forgetting to top up, well, FFS, whats next, wipe thier arse for them......................... I'm afraid this is a poor (and distasteful ) argument, buses are there for everybody and you cannot turn people away because they have no oyster or credit on it. How inconvenient taking cash is for TfL is beside the point, they are running a public service. There would have to be a requirement to drop you off at the first available Oyster outlet where you can top up your card
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Post by rambo on Apr 16, 2013 2:53:09 GMT
On the telly today it said that cash only accounts for 1% of transactions and it costs TFL £30 million per year to collect. I think it's a good idea, and people will have to get used to it. As for people forgetting to top up, well, FFS, whats next, wipe thier arse for them......................... I'm afraid this is a poor (and distasteful ) argument, buses are there for everybody and you cannot turn people away because they have no oyster or credit on it. How inconvenient taking cash is for TfL is beside the point, they are running a public service. And public services should be publicly owned.
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Post by rambo on Apr 16, 2013 2:59:35 GMT
I'm afraid this is a poor (and distasteful ) argument, buses are there for everybody and you cannot turn people away because they have no oyster or credit on it. How inconvenient taking cash is for TfL is beside the point, they are running a public service. There would have to be a requirement to drop you off at the first available Oyster outlet where you can top up your card Ive tried that, and guess what? They start arguing and say they want to stay on the bus. I know I may come across as harsh sometimes, but, and there is always a but............. We can't run peoples lives for them. If i'm going out for the night, I make sure my travel arrangments are sorted. I cannot see the hardship in making sure your oyster is topped up. £30 million pays for alot of other stuff on the buses, IE 850 extra revenue officers.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2013 6:17:34 GMT
Why on earth would we need 850 extra revenue officers?
Nobody is perfect we all forget things, if somebody gets on without an oyster and offers cash they cannot be refused travel, it would just cause endless arguments and delays.
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Post by mondraker275 on Apr 16, 2013 6:49:06 GMT
I TfL should introduce a 'No Change' policy. People will still be able to pay cash. If they dont have the exact money, then they decide whether its worth paying £3, £5 or whatever money they have. Also TfL will get extra revenue. Bus drivers will get less trouble.
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Post by rambo on Apr 16, 2013 11:44:20 GMT
Why on earth would we need 850 extra revenue officers? Nobody is perfect we all forget things, if somebody gets on without an oyster and offers cash they cannot be refused travel, it would just cause endless arguments and delays. Agree with that. Extra revenue officers for checking/catching people. Or use the money for extra police officers.
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