Bus Only Tickets - Monday 23rd February 2004

dazberry

Reading the paper tonight - I came across this gem:

BUS ONLY TICKETS
Following on from the recent increase in cash fares revised bus only ticket prices will apply from Monday 23rd February 2004

Now I'm not going to rant over 5c, but what I am going to rant/subrant over is...

[1] "Following on the recent increase...". The reason I'm going to subrant on this is not because of the increase, because of how the pre-christmas cash increase was mooted, sort of watered down on the pretense that prepaid tickets were still the same, and when they think everyone has forgotten, they slip this in. Sly. Geez, but up the prices or not, but don't try be politican about it.

[2] Full RANT. What's this 23rd Feb 2004 business paleface. When I went to buy a ticket in town on the 17th (2 journey - e2.80) I couldn't bloody get one. I was told that DB weren't supplying tickets because of an increase the next day (Wednesday). TBH I think shops had them but weren't selling them until the next day. I did manage to get one in the 3rd shop I tried, but it was an e2.90 (wasn't even mentioned to me, it was slipped in 'cos I was buying other things - noticed but didn't care), and so it has been since. Its not about 5c (or 35c in total), its about this underhand behaviour. I mean what do Dublin bus think they are, the CIA or something.

Anyway, sorry - had to get that out. Always sets me off this sort or malarky

D.

Genghis

I don't think there is enough of an incentive at all to buy pre-paid tickets. Sure, the big advantage is not needing 'correct change', but you should be able to:

1. Receive some kind of fare discount for paying up front - even 5c per journey is worthwhile
2. Be able to buy journeys in bulk. Those Travel 10 tickets were a good idea, can't they bring them back - something like 10 1.25 journeys for €12.00 or something? The latest innovation in this area is not what I mean, btw, buying a bundle of ten seperate 'Travel 90' tickets for 10 times the cost of one is no incentive at all.

LFCFan

People who bought the yearly Train tickets received a big pile of free bus tickets too because of the fact that the DART won't be running at weekends for a large part of the track. My girlfriend got them and we haven't had to pay for the bus in ages

John R

Originally posted by Genghis
I don't think there is enough of an incentive at all to buy pre-paid tickets. Sure, the big advantage is not needing 'correct change', but you should be able to:

1. Receive some kind of fare discount for paying up front - even 5c per journey is worthwhile
2. Be able to buy journeys in bulk. Those Travel 10 tickets were a good idea, can't they bring them back - something like 10 1.25 journeys for €12.00 or something? The latest innovation in this area is not what I mean, btw, buying a bundle of ten seperate 'Travel 90' tickets for 10 times the cost of one is no incentive at all.

They stopped selling the 10 journey tickets because people were damaging them puroposely to evade fares.

The travel 90 tickets are cheaper, they used to be €2 per ticket now they are €15 for packs of ten, they do not sell them individually now. Also they are now valid for unlimited journeys in 90mns where before it was just 2. Still they are better value than longer cash fares, one travel 90 at €1.50 is valid for journeys where the single cash fare is much more than that.

What about the rambler ticket packs;
one day adult €5, 5x one day adult €15
five day adult €15, 5x five day adult €70

Victor

Originally posted by John R
Also they are now valid for unlimited journeys in 90mns where before it was just 2.

Thats 90 minutes from start of first journey to start of last journey, not 90 minutes total. The 5 x 1 day tickets are really handy for the occassional user, especially on longer journeys and multiple trips on the one day.

Genghis

Originally posted by John R
They stopped selling the 10 journey tickets because people were damaging them puroposely to evade fares.

I don't understand this one - why not clamp down on the evasion rather than take the product away. It is as simple as 'if the machine works, but your ticket doesn't then you pay cash; tickets that don't work can be redeemed for their residual value on presentation at Dublin Bus / by sending in a freepost envelope'. The two journey tickets are just ridiculous.

Originally posted by John R
The travel 90 tickets are cheaper, they used to be €2 per ticket now they are €15 for packs of ten, they do not sell them individually now. Also they are now valid for unlimited journeys in 90mns where before it was just 2. Still they are better value than longer cash fares, one travel 90 at €1.50 is valid for journeys where the single cash fare is much more than that.

Good idea on the Travel 90 and great value, shame you have to buy these in packs of 10. WHo wants to carry around 10 tickets?

Originally posted by John R
What about the rambler ticket packs;
one day adult €5, 5x one day adult €15
five day adult €15, 5x five day adult €70

Okay, good value too, but of limited use to me. Good for people who occassionally use the bus on a daily basis, or for weekly users who travel at the €1.45+ fares.

All I want is a 'travel ten' type ticket. I take 6-7 trips a week, at €1.25 each time. I don't want to be fiddling about with change, etc. Judging by the number of people who still pay cash (must be close to 50/50), Dublin Bus have yet to get their product offering right in this area.

Kappar

I was recently survyed by MRBI about a new product that Dublin Bus are thinking about bringing in. It's basicly like the Easy pass tool booth thing.

You leave it in your pocket and get on the bus and when you got off it subtracts the fare or something. They also wanted to extend it to buying stuff in shops etc. Not sure how good it would be just thought i'd let you know.

Victor

Originally posted by Genghis
WHo wants to carry around 10 tickets?

They come in booklets or wallets. Shame I have to pay my rent with no less than 18 x €20 notes :rolleyes:

John R

Originally posted by Genghis
I don't understand this one - why not clamp down on the evasion rather than take the product away. It is as simple as 'if the machine works, but your ticket doesn't then you pay cash; tickets that don't work can be redeemed for their residual value on presentation at Dublin Bus / by sending in a freepost envelope'. The two journey tickets are just ridiculous.

People would damage the tickets then insist on free travel because they had a ticket and no money and it wasn't their fault the ticket was broken. If they refused to get off and the driver refused to let them continue it meant a call to the Guards, leaving a bus full of passengers stranded until the guards showed up. Multiple journeys will be a feature of the new smartcard based ticket system that is on order.

As it is the 2 journey tickets are a big source of fare evasion, the use of the lowest denomination ticket by people who should be using the higher price ones is widespread.