|
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On 21/11/2013 20:59, Neil Williams wrote: On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 15:18:33 +0000, Mizter T wrote: As I said earlier, I think CPCs will likely change the ticketing picture significantly, but they're certainly not some magic solve-all solve-all I wonder if the Tube sans ticket offices proposal is perhaps a bit before its time I think it's about 15 years after its time. City transport networks need simple, automated ticketing. Ticket offices are for the mainline - and TBH I see a reduced need for them there as well - better to have them out showing how to use the machine next time. The reason why I said that is because contactless cards are still somewhat new on the scene, and there are still many with a (standard) UK bank account who don't have them yet. If the 'close the Tube ticket offices' plan is predicated on widespread CPC usage, then holding a CPC also needs to be widespread. That said, the picture will inevitably change over the next year and a half. |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On 21/11/2013 21:38, Scott wrote: On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 21:54:12 +0100, Neil Williams [snip] I don't think the Tube needs ticket offices, rather it needs staff on the floor helping with things. German systems are often near enough completely unstaffed. So I broadly support the idea. I take it Oyster cards will still be available at retail outlets; also the ability to add value to them. Will visitors and others you be able to buy an Oyster card at NR main termini, either a the (NR) ticket office or at a shop there, and at Heathrow etc? There's no suggestion whatsoever that Oyster cards are to disappear from the scene. So Oyster cards should continue to be available from shops as they are now - and they're already available for vending from Tube ticket machines (at least one machine in each station). I can't help but think that a lack of Tube ticket offices at main NR termini and other arrival points (Heathrow, VCS etc) just isn't very visitor friendly though - however much TfL might try and push Visitor Oyster cards to visitors before they arrive in London, people are just going to turn up and expect to sort it on arrival. (CPCs may be a solution for some of those visitors, but not all.) |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
|
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 21:38:08 +0000, Scott
wrote: I take it Oyster cards will still be available at retail outlets; also the ability to add value to them. Will visitors and others you be able to buy an Oyster card at NR main termini, either a the (NR) ticket office or at a shop there, and at Heathrow etc? You can now do both of these at ticket machines. Neil -- Neil Williams. Use neil before the at to reply. |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 21:51:38 +0000, Mizter T
wrote: The reason why I said that is because contactless cards are still somewhat new on the scene, and there are still many with a (standard) UK bank account who don't have them yet. If the 'close the Tube ticket offices' plan is predicated on widespread CPC usage, then holding a CPC also needs to be widespread. That said, the picture will inevitably change over the next year and a half. Cards typically have a 3 year expiry, so I would expect after 3 years near enough all cards to be so equipped. Neil -- Neil Williams. Use neil before the at to reply. |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
In message , at 19:21:18 on Thu, 21 Nov
2013, Mizter T remarked: But my understanding is that they are refusing some foreign/prepay cards because of problems in the back-office processing, rather than because there's a technical issue with the cards themselves. Fair point. I don't know what it is that's deficient when it comes to some foreign issued contactless cards. The problem is probably setting up a relationship with the foreign banks, dealing with things like over-limit credit cards and exhausted pre-pay cards. We know buses aren't online. It's a bit like the old "Electron/Solo" restriction. -- Roland Perry |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
In message , at 21:51:38 on Thu, 21 Nov
2013, Mizter T remarked: As I said earlier, I think CPCs will likely change the ticketing picture significantly, but they're certainly not some magic solve-all solve-all I wonder if the Tube sans ticket offices proposal is perhaps a bit before its time I think it's about 15 years after its time. City transport networks need simple, automated ticketing. Ticket offices are for the mainline - and TBH I see a reduced need for them there as well - better to have them out showing how to use the machine next time. The reason why I said that is because contactless cards are still somewhat new on the scene, and there are still many with a (standard) UK bank account who don't have them yet. If the 'close the Tube ticket offices' plan is predicated on widespread CPC usage, then holding a CPC also needs to be widespread. That said, the picture will inevitably change over the next year and a half. For people without a contactless credit card (and last time I was involved in consumer credit issues it was said that about half the population was fundamentally un-credit-worthy for whatever reason) then there's always a pre-pay card. Here's an article about that actually mentions use on London Underground (so perhaps that answers my earlier question, unless the author means buying tickets from a machine): http://bankinnovation.net/2011/03/tr...at-us-payment- habits/ -- Roland Perry |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
In message , at
07:53:28 on Fri, 22 Nov 2013, Neil Williams remarked: Will visitors and others you be able to buy an Oyster card at NR main termini, either a the (NR) ticket office or at a shop there, and at Heathrow etc? You can now do both of these at ticket machines. And ticket machines, once a quick way to buy a ticket, often have long queues, especially those where a visitor spends ages essentially pressing buttons at random. -- Roland Perry |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
|
| All times are GMT. The time now is 11:47 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2006 LondonBanter.co.uk