On Dec 13, 11:07*pm, "
wrote:
On 13/12/2012 14:31, CJB wrote:









On Dec 13, 1:26 pm, "tim....." wrote:
"Neil Williams" wrote in message

...

Mizter T wrote:

I (genuinely) totally disagree with you - I think this will eventually
become one of the so-called 'killer applications' that pushes the
contactless card payment method into the mainstream.

(And FWIW, I haven't got a contactless card in my wallet either!)

I have two, and it means I have to get my Oyster out of my wallet now,
while I used to be able to just bang the whole wallet on the reader.

But yes, I agree, this will become a "killer app" - particularly for
non-London bus companies who don't wish to spend a fortune on the
infrastructure to do a PAYG smartcard when the banks can do it for them.

Is the bit that you are saving going to be significant?

You're still going to have to have a reader in every bus.

You still need to download the data each day to some central collation
point.

You need to provide some sort of intelligent ticketing - most rural bus
companies offer discount returns.

You'll need a "complaints" department to handle mis-reads.

And if the bus service is curtailed - that is cut short of its
destination - then when you board the bus behind you end up paying
twice. That's a scam that TfL have been running for years. It nets
them millions of pounds extra profit. Tourists are usually affected by
this the most. *CJB.

No, if they have to change the bus' destination, thus curtailing its
run, then you can simply ask the driver for a continuation ticket.

That's how they do it in London, at least.

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

That is not how they do it London. This is SUPPOSED to be the way, but
most times the drivers simply can't be bothered - they just put a pre-
recorded announcement on about a change of destination, flick the
lights on and off when they get there, and tell everyone to get off
and catch the next bus behind, So only knowing commuters ask for a
ticket, or simply talk their way into getting onto the next bus for
free. Everyone else incl. hapless tourists touch-in again and occur an
extra fare. As I said this scam rakes in millions of extra revenue for
TfL - all due to the laziness or indifference of the drivers. CJB