On Mon, 28 Jul 2003 20:57:07 +0100, Dave
wrote:

I think the trial lasted for about 9 months. Nothing more has been
heard of it, so I an only assume that it wasn't deemed to be a success.

It'll increase fare-dodging - but I still think an increased penalty
fare (bringing it in line with parking fines is not unreasonable in my
book) and spot inspections would help this.

I can't see that it could be anything other than a success from a
boarding-speed perspective on busy routes, though - why is it that on
most bus services in German cities, it is not necessary to show a
ticket when boarding?

The HVV (Hamburg), being hit by high fare-dodging figures recently,
have stated that they will not introduce compulsory showing of tickets
except in the evening and on Sundays (as they always did) because it
would affect operational speed too much - and if you're familiar with
bus operations in Germany (or indeed the TfL bendies) it makes one
hell of a difference.

Well TfL's research doesn't think so. They're spending a lot of money
to install the ticket machines - and they reckon it cuts boarding times
by 10%.

I would be interested to know what their research is based on, other
than the bendies and the trial mentioned above. No similar system
exists in this country for them to base a study on - and I'm not aware
of a trial somewhere where such a thing could make a massive
difference - Oxford Street, for example.

The yellow is merely to highlight that you need to have a ticket before
boarding. I don't find that confusing at all.

Do I need to show it or not? Hmm, I don't know - best show it anyway.
Hey-presto - bendy boarding times slowed. Or maybe I board at the
rear of a decker and go upstairs - the bus is then delayed a few
minutes while the driver shouts me back to show my ticket.

Conductors on normal buses failed because it was confusing - everyone
knows what a Routemaster looks like (admittedly the same can, I
suppose, be said of a bendy). This has the potential to do the same -
causing more delay, not less.

Neil