jus363
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Post by jus363 on Jan 30, 2023 18:37:43 GMT 1
They now have Ex first Halifax 31139 YU52 VYP.
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WYBS
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Post by WYBS on Jan 31, 2023 12:29:19 GMT 1
Horsforth to Pudsey another no show today. Was waiting to get a picture at Calverley (perfect weather, perfect angle, perfect shot, interesting vehicle)... except it's nowhere to be seen. Damn.
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Post by platform5 on Jan 31, 2023 20:48:09 GMT 1
I was told metro are looking for a new operator, apparently A&A are now only operating the service if they have a bus & driver available which they cannot commit to everyday.
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o539
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Post by o539 on Jan 31, 2023 22:17:29 GMT 1
I was told metro are looking for a new operator, apparently A&A are now only operating the service if they have a bus & driver available which they cannot commit to everyday. Oh interesting, I wonder who will take over the route, it might make sense for Squarepeg to take it over, given their current presence in the area and greater availability of smaller and more economical buses. Or maybe the new player on the block, Yorkshire Buses, will take it over, it's anyone's guess right now. Hopefully a new operator, if they find one, will mean the bus actually becomes reliable again..
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Post by westyorkshirebus on Jan 31, 2023 22:38:35 GMT 1
Although the question is why wouldn’t Squarepeg have taken it over in the first place? Presumably they had driver availability issues as well
A&A operating this has always seemed to me like an operator of last resort situation, when everyone else had turned it down - an operator that operates no other public routes, a route not particularly near their depot or near anything else they do.
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o539
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Post by o539 on Feb 1, 2023 0:05:53 GMT 1
That is a good point, however there's no indication that WYMetro didn't just choose A&A because it was the most cost effective/cheapest tender, rather than the most practical or logical, particularly since it's a developer funded route rather than a route funded solely by the WYCA/WYMetro. So it's hard to tell, which is also why it'll be interesting to see who takes over the route, especially due to the points you just made.
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Post by roilshead on Feb 2, 2023 20:50:38 GMT 1
I tried to catch the 11:28 Pudsey - Troy today, but couldn't board as the driver said they didn't accept cash or contactless only "pre-pay" (whatever was meant by that). I noticed the vehicle - the same Wright single-deck on which I rode a few weeks back - still had no ticket machine fitted. The couple behind me were similarly refused travel. Unsurprisingly the bus arrived and left empty. On my previous journey when I offered the £2 the driver told me I could ride free as they hadn't yet fitted the ticket machine.
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Post by kommie123 on Feb 2, 2023 21:03:42 GMT 1
I tried to catch the 11:28 Pudsey - Troy today, but couldn't board as the driver said they didn't accept cash or contactless only "pre-pay" (whatever was meant by that). I noticed the vehicle - the same Wright single-deck on which I rode a few weeks back - still had no ticket machine fitted. The couple behind me were similarly refused travel. Unsurprisingly the bus arrived and left empty. On my previous journey when I offered the £2 the driver told me I could ride free as they hadn't yet fitted the ticket machine. Wow isn't this called something illegal?
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WYBS
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Post by WYBS on Feb 2, 2023 21:34:17 GMT 1
I tried to catch the 11:28 Pudsey - Troy today, but couldn't board as the driver said they didn't accept cash or contactless only "pre-pay" (whatever was meant by that). I noticed the vehicle - the same Wright single-deck on which I rode a few weeks back - still had no ticket machine fitted. The couple behind me were similarly refused travel. Unsurprisingly the bus arrived and left empty. On my previous journey when I offered the £2 the driver told me I could ride free as they hadn't yet fitted the ticket machine. Unbelievable Jeff. I'm just going to have to try ride this cowboy's steed myself. I've only witnessed it from a photographic-position.
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kendall17
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Post by kendall17 on Feb 2, 2023 22:44:54 GMT 1
I tried to catch the 11:28 Pudsey - Troy today, but couldn't board as the driver said they didn't accept cash or contactless only "pre-pay" (whatever was meant by that). I noticed the vehicle - the same Wright single-deck on which I rode a few weeks back - still had no ticket machine fitted. The couple behind me were similarly refused travel. Unsurprisingly the bus arrived and left empty. On my previous journey when I offered the £2 the driver told me I could ride free as they hadn't yet fitted the ticket machine. Wow isn't this called something illegal? Whats illegal about it?
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WYBS
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Post by WYBS on Feb 3, 2023 2:03:10 GMT 1
Wow isn't this called something illegal? Whats illegal about it? Surely an operator refusing passengers who are willing to pay because they don't have a ticket machine fitted on a public service route is not above-board. As for legalities, I don't know; but it's gotta be something the traffic commissioner would frown upon, no?
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kendall17
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Justice for the 96!
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Post by kendall17 on Feb 3, 2023 7:03:11 GMT 1
Surely an operator refusing passengers who are willing to pay because they don't have a ticket machine fitted on a public service route is not above-board. As for legalities, I don't know; but it's gotta be something the traffic commissioner would frown upon, no? It's the same as London if you rocked up with a cash fare. Anyone can set their allowed methods of payment and reject whatever tbey want.
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joseph
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Post by joseph on Feb 3, 2023 7:20:39 GMT 1
If anybody wants to stand against Tracy the Breadbin when she's up for re-election, the fact that the transport part of the authority she's in charge of can't control this company, and indeed with some of the authority employees not even knowing about this route will work in your favour big time.
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Post by deerfold on Feb 3, 2023 10:01:10 GMT 1
Surely an operator refusing passengers who are willing to pay because they don't have a ticket machine fitted on a public service route is not above-board. As for legalities, I don't know; but it's gotta be something the traffic commissioner would frown upon, no? It sounds like they were refused because they wanted to pay by card, not because there wasn't a ticket machine. It sounds very customer unfriendly these days, but not illegal. It may breach the contracts that they've signed to run the route, though. Might be worth mentioning to Metro so they can highlight on their timetables that the route is cash or MCard only.
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Post by roilshead on Feb 3, 2023 11:31:34 GMT 1
Surely an operator refusing passengers who are willing to pay because they don't have a ticket machine fitted on a public service route is not above-board. As for legalities, I don't know; but it's gotta be something the traffic commissioner would frown upon, no? It sounds like they were refused because they wanted to pay by card, not because there wasn't a ticket machine. It sounds very customer unfriendly these days, but not illegal. It may breach the contracts that they've signed to run the route, though. Might be worth mentioning to Metro so they can highlight on their timetables that the route is cash or MCard only. No, they wouldn't accept cash or card, "only pre-pay" - but without a ticket-machine how could they read ENCTS or MCard? Suppose one wanted to buy a WY Daysaver - they couldn't issue one. And there's no advance publicity about any of this (I found it all very amusing, but the couple behind me were seriously inconvenienced). I can't believe that this method of operating is within terms of their contract. If exposure to A&A Travel's operation of this service was anybody first experience of leaving the car at home and taking advantage of the subsidised fares to give public transport a go they'd never set foot on a bus again; Metro need to pull this service immediately, never min letting A&A hang-on until another operator can be found - the service is virtually unusable anyway, and less reputational damage to public transport is likely if it were just put out of its misery for now.
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Post by stephen01 on Feb 3, 2023 12:37:55 GMT 1
It sounds like they were refused because they wanted to pay by card, not because there wasn't a ticket machine. It sounds very customer unfriendly these days, but not illegal. It may breach the contracts that they've signed to run the route, though. Might be worth mentioning to Metro so they can highlight on their timetables that the route is cash or MCard only. No, they wouldn't accept cash or card, "only pre-pay" - but without a ticket-machine how could they read ENCTS or MCard? Suppose one wanted to buy a WY Daysaver - they couldn't issue one. And there's no advance publicity about any of this (I found it all very amusing, but the couple behind me were seriously inconvenienced). I can't believe that this method of operating is within terms of their contract. If exposure to A&A Travel's operation of this service was anybody first experience of leaving the car at home and taking advantage of the subsidised fares to give public transport a go they'd never set foot on a bus again; Metro need to pull this service immediately, never min letting A&A hang-on until another operator can be found - the service is virtually unusable anyway, and less reputational damage to public transport is likely if it were just put out of its misery for now. As other members have posted before it's not as simple as Metro pulling the service as it's majority funded by a property developer. It's seems like the issue is A&A have drivers who are purely used to school workings and Coach hire. It's also the management at A&A at fault for not making sure the service buses had ticket machines ready for when they started the service
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Post by deerfold on Feb 3, 2023 13:11:15 GMT 1
It sounds like they were refused because they wanted to pay by card, not because there wasn't a ticket machine. It sounds very customer unfriendly these days, but not illegal. It may breach the contracts that they've signed to run the route, though. Might be worth mentioning to Metro so they can highlight on their timetables that the route is cash or MCard only. No, they wouldn't accept cash or card, "only pre-pay" - but without a ticket-machine how could they read ENCTS or MCard? Suppose one wanted to buy a WY Daysaver - they couldn't issue one. And there's no advance publicity about any of this (I found it all very amusing, but the couple behind me were seriously inconvenienced). I can't believe that this method of operating is within terms of their contract. If exposure to A&A Travel's operation of this service was anybody first experience of leaving the car at home and taking advantage of the subsidised fares to give public transport a go they'd never set foot on a bus again; Metro need to pull this service immediately, never min letting A&A hang-on until another operator can be found - the service is virtually unusable anyway, and less reputational damage to public transport is likely if it were just put out of its misery for now. Ah, it wasn't clear they wouldn't take cash either. That will almost certainly be in breach of their contract, not to mention something the Traffic Commissioner would be interested in - I'm guessing they're claiming the recent equivalent of BSOG - if they're not allowing passengers to travel that could even be seen as being fraudulently claimed. ENTCS cards and MCard-on-phone or multi-operator tickets on paper could all be checked by the driver visually. However MCards couldn't and it seems very daft to require people to buy a ticket from another operator before using your bus.
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Post by roilshead on Feb 3, 2023 15:05:58 GMT 1
No, they wouldn't accept cash or card, "only pre-pay" - but without a ticket-machine how could they read ENCTS or MCard? Suppose one wanted to buy a WY Daysaver - they couldn't issue one. And there's no advance publicity about any of this (I found it all very amusing, but the couple behind me were seriously inconvenienced). I can't believe that this method of operating is within terms of their contract. If exposure to A&A Travel's operation of this service was anybody first experience of leaving the car at home and taking advantage of the subsidised fares to give public transport a go they'd never set foot on a bus again; Metro need to pull this service immediately, never min letting A&A hang-on until another operator can be found - the service is virtually unusable anyway, and less reputational damage to public transport is likely if it were just put out of its misery for now. ENTCS cards and MCard-on-phone or multi-operator tickets on paper could all be checked by the driver visually. How eould they claim reimbursement if they didn't have a record of use? or are all receipts on a Metro contract paid to Metro (in which case Metro would be losing the revenue).
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WYBS
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Post by WYBS on Feb 3, 2023 16:26:58 GMT 1
Surely an operator refusing passengers who are willing to pay because they don't have a ticket machine fitted on a public service route is not above-board. As for legalities, I don't know; but it's gotta be something the traffic commissioner would frown upon, no? It's the same as London if you rocked up with a cash fare. Anyone can set their allowed methods of payment and reject whatever tbey want. But you still have an option to pay with contactless on London buses. This is totally different, no method of paying on the spot is accepted.
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kendall17
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Justice for the 96!
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Post by kendall17 on Feb 3, 2023 17:17:22 GMT 1
It's the same as London if you rocked up with a cash fare. Anyone can set their allowed methods of payment and reject whatever tbey want. But you still have an option to pay with contactless on London buses. This is totally different, no method of paying on the spot is accepted. But still, whilst unacceptable, any business can reject any type of payment they wish.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2023 17:25:22 GMT 1
It's the same as London if you rocked up with a cash fare. Anyone can set their allowed methods of payment and reject whatever tbey want. But you still have an option to pay with contactless on London buses. This is totally different, no method of paying on the spot is accepted. Metrobus in Bristol until Tap On/Tap Off was introduced was fully pre-paid tickets only.
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Post by SCH117X on Feb 3, 2023 18:18:11 GMT 1
If the ticket machine is absent or not working the correct thing to do is either allow for a free journey or the driver handwrite a ticket.
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Post by deerfold on Feb 3, 2023 19:12:59 GMT 1
ENTCS cards and MCard-on-phone or multi-operator tickets on paper could all be checked by the driver visually. How eould they claim reimbursement if they didn't have a record of use? or are all receipts on a Metro contract paid to Metro (in which case Metro would be losing the revenue). No idea. That doesn't stop them checking validity, though.
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Post by roilshead on Feb 3, 2023 20:54:19 GMT 1
How eould they claim reimbursement if they didn't have a record of use? or are all receipts on a Metro contract paid to Metro (in which case Metro would be losing the revenue). No idea. That doesn't stop them checking validity, though. Of a paper ticket, but of an MCard? . . .
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Post by roilshead on Feb 3, 2023 21:00:51 GMT 1
If the ticket machine is absent or not working the correct thing to do is either allow for a free journey or the driver handwrite a ticket. Which is what happened to me (free journey) previously. These chaps seem to make the rules up as they go along, without prior notification, nor any consideration for the passenger. If one does a Google search for this company one can access one of those "feedback" threads - read it, complaints from parents about the late-running/non-operation of the school services they supposedly operate are many. They need closing down. Full stop. I've sent an addendum to my previous e-mail to "Buses" magazine, updating them on recent events - and all of this has been passed on to Metro.
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