My local bus in Bucks still has no reader and the driver issues zero fare tickets.

Around here (Portsmouth), the two major bus companies have had ITSO-readers for about a year, but both operate differently. On Stagecoach, the card is placed on top of the machine, and beeps to confirm validity. No paper ticket/receipt is issued. However, with First, the card is offered to a reader on one side of the reciept, and if the card is valid, a zero-fare ticket pops out.

Both systems *should* require no interaction from the driver if the card is valid on that service at that time.

On Sunday, 13 October 2013 08:21:38 UTC+1, M J Forbes wrote:

reader on one side of the ***reciept***, and if the card is valid, a zero-fare ticket pops out.

Ooops - meant "machine", but my brain clearly hasn't recovered from last night yet ..