Outside London bus companies have a direct incentive to collect fares
because they are taking the revenue risk. In London TfL takes the
revenue risk but fares used to be collected by the franchised bus
companies.Did they just turn over the cash to TfL at the end of the
day? How did TfL check that all the fares that should be paid were
paid? Does the move to Oyster Cards now mean that the cash now flows
straight from the consumer to TfL? In which case how does it check that
all passengers who should have checled through using their Oyster Cards
have done so? Does anybody keep a check on the number of young people
and pensioners using their concessionary travel?

Bob wrote:

Outside London bus companies have a direct incentive to collect fares
because they are taking the revenue risk. In London TfL takes the
revenue risk but fares used to be collected by the franchised bus
companies.Did they just turn over the cash to TfL at the end of the
day? How did TfL check that all the fares that should be paid were
paid? Does the move to Oyster Cards now mean that the cash now flows
straight from the consumer to TfL? In which case how does it check that
all passengers who should have checled through using their Oyster Cards
have done so? Does anybody keep a check on the number of young people
and pensioners using their concessionary travel?

TfL Ticketing Systems are provided under a PFI contract known as
Prestige. Each ticket machine has a "Module" which records how much
money the bus driver has taken/machine has recorded. When a driver
finishes their duty at the garage the module is inserted a vending
machine type box and all the cash goes in there too. This is then taken
away by one of TfL's contractors. TfL Revenue and Enforcement staff
carry out regular checks to prevent fraud. The ticket machine modules
also record the different tickets.

Underground stations at the present time have a full accounting
procedure checked and signed off by the Station Supervisor to ensure
that all monies are accounted for. This is however, as part of the
continued closing of ticket offices and reduction of ticket office
staff soon to be replaced by ESAF, where all money is simply put into a
bag at the end of the day and sent off! Woolworths started using this
system, but soon stopped as too much money was being stolen.!

Bob wrote:
Outside London bus companies have a direct incentive to collect fares
because they are taking the revenue risk. In London TfL takes the
revenue risk but fares used to be collected by the franchised bus
companies.Did they just turn over the cash to TfL at the end of the
day? How did TfL check that all the fares that should be paid were
paid?

I suppose it's just about being honest, how do non-London Local
Authorities know that drivers aren't just pressing the "Conc" button on
their ticket machine every 5 mins to record a non-existant concessionary
journey so the company can get more money?

TfL can surely check from ticket machine records, but what if tickets
aren't being issued? I think something dodgy is happenning in Bristol -
I've caught a few council subsidised routes lately where drivers aren't
recording pass usage and are allowing some people to travel for free,
and charging others a token amount and not issuing tickets.

Does the move to Oyster Cards now mean that the cash now flows
straight from the consumer to TfL?

I suppose so, although drivers are still taking fares for people without
tickets or Oyster outside Central London anyway.

In which case how does it check that
all passengers who should have checled through using their Oyster Cards
have done so? Does anybody keep a check on the number of young people
and pensioners using their concessionary travel?

It's not really relevent, the LA's are paying TfL money to administer
the Freedom Pass scheme, and TfL don't need to reimburse the bus
operators - the free travel for under 16s/under 18s in education is
TfL-funded anyway and doesn't need checking up on.
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