On Thursday, September 13, 2012 11:37:21 PM UTC+1, wrote:
On 13/09/2012 23:32, Tim Roll-Pickering wrote: wrote: I suppose it makes sense to remove the machines as it will cut costs for staff or contractors to go to each of these machines, carry out maintenance and effect any needed repairs. Coin transport costs are also not cheap, AIUI. For presumably those reasons they've been withdrawn from stops outside the cashless zone when the buses were debendified. One of the harshest memories from when they were first brought in was when machines broke down and drivers refused to take would-be passengers who said this. A particular bad one involved a mother with a pushchair. The driver should have just waved the mother on board in that case, at least as a one-off. The others could have gone to the newsagent and bought tickets or topped up their Oysters.
It is not always the case that there is a newsagent open near the bus stop at the time you want to travel. Even if there was, you can't buy single tickets.
There will always be someone who needs to pay by cash, for a variety of reasons. (eg lost/stolen Oystercard, no Oystercard to begin with, or wanting to travel at 5am when there is no money on the card, and no means of topping up the card nearby. )
Many bus operators in Europe will sell single tickets on the bus, usually at a slight premium, and you cannot pay with anything greater than a €10 note. (eg in Belgium a single from the station in Bruges to the city centre costs €2 if bought on the bus, or €1.20 if bought in advance from the kiosk or machine)
Part of the problem is that the cash fare in London is considerably more expensive than the Oyster fare.