On 14/11/2014 20:05, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Fri, 14 Nov 2014 12:51:11 -0600,
wrote:
[snip]
I find that explanation very odd. So all the unibus services run in
various cities in England with route numbers prefixed with "U" can't
accept ITSO cards? I frankly don't believe that.
There are 5 "U" routes in Southampton and a route called Unibus in
Canterbury. While designed for students they're normal public services
and will accept ITSO concessionary passes from English local
authorities. Exeter city services are famously lettered rather than
numbered.
There are also loads of letter prefixed routes across the UK and I'm
amazed that there could be even a partial situation whereby some
routes cannot read and accept ITSO smartcards. This is particularly
the case where local authorities rely on electronic data for usage
information for reimbursement purposes.
Note I'm not saying Ms Pidgeon is "lying". I just don't buy the
explanation as surely the issue has arisen before now and should have
been resolved?
[/snip]
Paul, you are right - it is a very opdd explanation.
It seems to have conflated two issues. Yes, there are some constraints
within ITSO which can prevent certain letters being used in certain
circumstances to record a route number in a trasnaction record. But that
can be circumvented, and in any case the transaction record doesn't have
to show the same route number that the public sees.
More likely the ITSO on Prestige rollout hasn't hit all the buses yet.
The buses need both the ITSO 'shell and product keys' so they can read
the ENCTS cards and the concession products on them., and they also need
the 'commercial rules' to know that they can accept these cards. My
guess would be that one or the other hasn't bee completed yet.
Just my £0.02 contribution
Kevin