I don't agree with the sentiment of, just because you're a regular user, you should have the correct change. Don't get me wrong, I try to have the correct change but if the worst comes to the worst, I've got a £5 note for a £2 something fare. I'm not doing it to spite anyone's nose or try and get myself change, it's just all I have and I think that's applicable for other people. Equally, I often tender a note a couple of pounds higher than the value of my weekly and again, it's not to spite anyone's nose but on a Sunday night when I go to the cash machine, I can't get change out! Of course I realise that there are some passengers that take the p*ss and I think getting on with a note higher than £5 for a single fare is verging upon ridiculous and with a £20 is just stupid. In those cases, I would like to see company's beginning to authorise the issuing of change tickets rather than running the driver out of float; giving that kind of change is going to inconvenience most driver's, particularly those on a low float, so to do the same to said passengers seems fair.
A lot of stops especially in the city are next to shops, buy a drink or something, lol
(13/06/2012 16:15)StageStig Wrote: [ -> ]A lot of stops especially in the city are next to shops, buy a drink or something, lol
I'm not in the city and most shops aren't open at 7 in the morning anyway ;-)!
I travel to work using my staff pass which allows me on First buses for free, but when I get back to Leigh, I often time it for the 584 or 589. However, as these are operated by Jim Stones, I cannot use my pass on their services and sometimes I'm caught out with insufficient change.
I can get away with using a fiver as the driver tends to have ample change following the school rush, however that is a rarity. So, in order to get change, I have to go to the cashpoint, withdraw £10, go to Ryman's and buy my daughter a packet or two of Moshi Monster trading cards just so I can get change from somewhere close to the bus station!
Saw an Enviro400 on the 217 this afternoon arriving into Shudehill Interchange. Was a bit of a surprise, didn't see which one it was as I was on the tram trying out the new Oldham line.
I get my weekly saver in the morning, I just get my wife to drop me off at a shop and just buy a paper that I will buy anyway but normally later to get some change.
(13/06/2012 15:14)MPTE1955 Wrote: [ -> ] (13/06/2012 15:00)CX54 DKD Wrote: [ -> ]I don't agree with the sentiment of, just because you're a regular user, you should have the correct change. Don't get me wrong, I try to have the correct change but if the worst comes to the worst, I've got a £5 note for a £2 something fare. I'm not doing it to spite anyone's nose or try and get myself change, it's just all I have and I think that's applicable for other people. Equally, I often tender a note a couple of pounds higher than the value of my weekly and again, it's not to spite anyone's nose but on a Sunday night when I go to the cash machine, I can't get change out! Of course I realise that there are some passengers that take the p*ss and I think getting on with a note higher than £5 for a single fare is verging upon ridiculous and with a £20 is just stupid. In those cases, I would like to see company's beginning to authorise the issuing of change tickets rather than running the driver out of float; giving that kind of change is going to inconvenience most driver's, particularly those on a low float, so to do the same to said passengers seems fair.
Fair Point.
Yes I agree and it was exactly the same for me on Monday morning. I wish cash machines would give change but they don't and that's an unavoidable fact of life. A mega-rider is many people's first purchase of the week so many people don't have change through no fault of their own.
A no change given policy would be completely unworkable. What that would do is alienate passengers, and even if everyone DID have the correct change, you're then back to the situation where a driver becomes overloaded with change and has to stop off at the depot to get an extra change bag. So maybe change receipts are the only satisfactory answer. Perhaps they could be made so they can be used as payment either in full or in part for future journeys.
I see the notices about timetable changes are displayed on all the buses now ready for next week.
They give the reason due to 'quieter roads' though the Gold Medal on the picture suggests a rather different reason. :-0
I too normally have £12 exactly to give the driver on a Tuesday morning for a mega rider, but at 5.20 am it's not always possible to nip into a shop to get change.
An exact fare policy would only work if fares were widely publicised or made simpler, ie a three band system, neither will ever happen in Manchester.