"Ed Crowley" wrote in message
...

"Cast_Iron" wrote in message
...
CJG wrote:
Buses are slowed down so much with drivers getting change.
And even having £1 fare is still going to involve change
(notes and £2 coins). So why not introduce exact fare only.
No change at all. The money could go into secure boxes that
the driver has no access to. This happens in other parts
of the country and maybe its been tried before in London.
So good or bad idea?

I recall visiting Crawley on one occasion (not my idea). Walked out of
the
railway station and found the bus stop near the bus oerators office. It
was
only as I got on the bus that it revealed to me that it was "Exact Fare
Only". There was absolutly nothing on the stop nor anywhere else to warn
me.
Do something about that situtation and I can see no problem with the
idea.

I tried to pay a £1 fare in Reading with a £5 note. The driver has no
access to change, each passenger drops a pound coin in a box as they
enter.
Luckily there were enough passengers behind me to allow me to collect four
fares and stick the fiver in the box ...

I am VERY much against the idea of exact-fare-only buses and
buy-in-advance-ticket machines being the *only* way of buying tickets. By
all means encourage people to buy tickets in advance if they have suitable
change, but don't prevent people being able to buy tickets with whatever
cash they happen to have, as a last resort.

To expect people who only buy tickets occasionally (so wouldn't use Oyster)
or who don't know the fare (tourists etc) to have the exact change available
is unreasonable. It requires every intending passenger to carry sufficient
loose change to be able to pay any fare. It is far better for this burden to
be placed on the provider of the service (the driver and/or conductor) than
it is to place it on every customer (passenger).

Anyway, what about the delays while tourists who don't know the fare count
out their coins to meet the "exact fare" requirement? What about if you have
the correct fare but not in the coins that the ticket machine will accept -
there is a growing trend for ticket machines (especially in car parks) to
only accept some coins (eg not copper or not 5p). To require people to carry
not only sufficient change but also in the correct denominations is
LUDICROUS.

In the case of the Reading buses, they actually have the cheek to describe
their "exact fare" scheme as being "more convenient" (placards on the sides
of buses). How can a system that won't give change be *more* convenient? It
is *less* convenient from the passenger's point of view.