Brighton and Hove passengers travel free after bus ticket glitch (From The Argus)
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Brighton and Hove passengers travel free after bus ticket glitch
11:00am Saturday 5th January 2013 in News By Tim Ridgway, Local government reporter
Brighton and Hove passengers travel free after bus ticket glitch
Ticket machine glitches have meant bus passengers have been wrongly travelling for free.
The national Concessionary Bus Fare scheme means that pensioners and the disabled get free travel anywhere in England from 9.30am to 11pm Monday to Friday.
However, to allow its vulnerable residents to continue travelling without charge on night buses within the city, Brighton and Hove City Council provides extra cash to extend the benefit into the early hours.
Yet Brighton and Hove Bus Company has confirmed its automatic ticket readers, which were first installed on its fleet in June, cannot distinguish between a concessionary card issued in the city and one from outside.
Fuss This means that tourists and those living in areas just outside Brighton and Hove, such as Shoreham, Peacehaven and Worthing, have been travelling for free outside the national restrictions.
Roger French, managing director of Brighton and Hove Bus Company, said: “Since Monday the checking of passes has been done manually so drivers can differentiate between them.
“It’s how they used to do it before the machines came in so it’s not a problem.
“We’re talking penny numbers of passengers to be honest.
“The chances of people outside the area using the night buses, which mostly run within the city, are very very small.”
The national concessionary bus scheme gives free travel to those aged over 65 and the disabled.
There are no time restrictions for any passes at weekends and on Bank Holidays.
However, local authorities have the option of using its own money to extend the weekday restrictions.
In Brighton and Hove, the council pays for its own residents to get free bus travel from 9am every day.
They can also board with no charge from 11pm to 4am Monday to Friday.
Pass holders who do not live in the city are expected to pay if they travel outside the national times.
Bus drivers were told of the changes to the scheme on Monday.
However, some thought it meant it affected all concessionary card holders, not just those issued outside Brighton and Hove.
One driver, who did not want to be named, said: “It caused quite a bit of fuss from the sounds of things as people who thought they could get on for free were told to pay for their fares.”
Any loss of revenue will affect the bus company as it has signed a three year fixed price deal with the city council.
Mr French said: “Financially we have been missing out but I’m guessing we’re talking about one or two people every month. We need to get it sorted.”
Comments(18)
Tom V
says...
11:14am Sat 5 Jan 13
jyan
says...
12:00pm Sat 5 Jan 13
fredaj
says...
12:34pm Sat 5 Jan 13
All seems a bit amateurish to me.
hursthill
says...
12:44pm Sat 5 Jan 13
It stated on the match day tickets -" this ticket includes free travel to & from the match".
We boarded the "Brighton & Hove " bus at Old Steine. The driver had an instructor who told us we had to pay . Several local passengers shouted out that we didn't have to pay, but I had no choice, otherwise I would miss the match.
My question is who is incorrect - Brighton Football club. or Brighton & Hove buses ?
Fight_Back
says...
3:11pm Sat 5 Jan 13
hursthill wrote:Your match ticket entitles to you to free travel on all B&H buses within the city that go to the Amex. You should complain !!!!
I travelled from London with my son & wife last weekend to watch Watford play at the Amex.
It stated on the match day tickets -" this ticket includes free travel to & from the match".
We boarded the "Brighton & Hove " bus at Old Steine. The driver had an instructor who told us we had to pay . Several local passengers shouted out that we didn't have to pay, but I had no choice, otherwise I would miss the match.
My question is who is incorrect - Brighton Football club. or Brighton & Hove buses ?
Sussex jim
says...
3:54pm Sat 5 Jan 13
Ihopenoonehasthisusername
says...
4:15pm Sat 5 Jan 13
Tom V wrote:Yawn!!!
I'm more worried about how often the bus drivers hit kerbs, corners etc when they're driving and parking. The lost revenue could have been spent on training them to drive safely...
Fight_Back
says...
7:33pm Sat 5 Jan 13
martyt
says...
7:49pm Sat 5 Jan 13
Fight_Back wrote:you match ticket allows free travel from the park and ride sites in brighton ,on the park and ride buses ,unless its been changed in the last few weeks , which i dont think i has been, as if it had been changed why bother with the extra buses just for park and ride to the game
hursthill wrote:Your match ticket entitles to you to free travel on all B&H buses within the city that go to the Amex. You should complain !!!!
I travelled from London with my son & wife last weekend to watch Watford play at the Amex.
It stated on the match day tickets -" this ticket includes free travel to & from the match".
We boarded the "Brighton & Hove " bus at Old Steine. The driver had an instructor who told us we had to pay . Several local passengers shouted out that we didn't have to pay, but I had no choice, otherwise I would miss the match.
My question is who is incorrect - Brighton Football club. or Brighton & Hove buses ?
martyt
says...
7:55pm Sat 5 Jan 13
ghost bus driver
says...
9:55pm Sat 5 Jan 13
Fight_Back wrote:Correction. HAD a monopoly until recently.
I'll add, WOW, the Go Ahead Group who make millions of pounds each year and have a monopoly on the bus service in the city have lost a few quid - my heart bleeds !!!!!!!!!!
kkj
says...
12:32am Sun 6 Jan 13
ghost bus driver wrote:Correction. Have a virtual monopoly.
Fight_Back wrote:Correction. HAD a monopoly until recently.
I'll add, WOW, the Go Ahead Group who make millions of pounds each year and have a monopoly on the bus service in the city have lost a few quid - my heart bleeds !!!!!!!!!!
bluemonday
says...
9:21am Sun 6 Jan 13
kkj wrote:they either have a monopoly or they don't,and they don't
ghost bus driver wrote:Correction. Have a virtual monopoly.Fight_Back wrote: I'll add, WOW, the Go Ahead Group who make millions of pounds each year and have a monopoly on the bus service in the city have lost a few quid - my heart bleeds !!!!!!!!!!Correction. HAD a monopoly until recently.
100 grand summer
says...
9:39am Sun 6 Jan 13
Hove Actually
says...
10:03am Sun 6 Jan 13
yourallnuts
says...
11:06am Sun 6 Jan 13
Hove Actually wrote:So are you saying old or disabled people should be put on a curfew?
More to the point, why are the old and disabled in need of free bus travel up to 4am in the morning?
ghost bus driver
says...
3:10pm Sun 6 Jan 13
Hove Actually wrote:Good question. Quite often gets asked in the canteen. I suppose its because they don't really tend to travel at these times and when they do it makes so little difference that they may as well. Besides, the older generation are just as likely to go to shows or restaurants and they don't want to be constantly looking at their watches the whole time. Same as anyone I'd guess.
More to the point, why are the old and disabled in need of free bus travel up to 4am in the morning?
A Watcher says...
11:13am Sat 5 Jan 13
If that's the scale of the problem, it can safely (and more cheaply) be disregarded. That's less than a tenner a month over the cost of the contract.