Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

[WhiteVanMan]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(28/02/2017 11:28)Dentonian Wrote:  but for those needing to change en route with one or both journeys running only every 30 or 60 minutes, its just not acceptable. Punctuality is simply not good enough!

I could not agree with you more, regarding punctuality.

If you compere old timetables, with the current ones. You will find that in some cases, that the times have been reduced. Also in some cases the routes have been rerouted via a housing estate or Industrial estate, with-out any extra time being allowed. So making it harder for the drivers, to run to the times allowed.

[Quackdave]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(28/02/2017 11:28)Dentonian Wrote:  Totally disagree. None of the alternatives - especially iphones - are a. universally available or b. 100% reliable

Maybe not universally, but around 90% of adults have a debit card, the vast majority contactless, and most will generally have it with them at all times (unlike the correct cash fare).

Whilst I would like buses to accept both cash and card payments, if I were forced to choose one or the other, then it would be the ability to pay by card, no contest. (And I imagine a majority of passengers and drivers would agree.)

As long as there is an adequate and widely available PAYG card alternative for those who don't have debit cards (particularly those who aren't old enough to have them) and who don't travel regularly enough to get a period ticket, I do think it would be reasonable to at least start disincentivising on-bus cash payments - perhaps by applying the next fare increase to cash fares only, whilst freezing prices for electronic payments.

[SF07]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
Contactless payment starts tomorrow (1 March). Available via credit/debit card, Apple Pay and Android Pay.

https://twitter.com/StagecoachGM/status/...7447744513
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and...ontactless

[Quackdave]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(28/02/2017 20:47)Dentonian Wrote:  I must admit, I don't think I've ever seen anyone pay on the bus with a credit/debit card, and I don't always carry my Debit Card around with me. From what I have seen, there are all sorts of delays with anything electronic being used or attempted to be used for payment.

I didn't know there was anywhere around here that it was possible to pay by card on the bus (well, until today!) But it seems to work well enough in London.

(28/02/2017 20:47)Dentonian Wrote:  I suppose you agree with First in freezing fares for m-tickets whilst increasing fares by 7% for everyone else - wage inflation is 1.5% (private sector) & 1.1% (public sector) - based on ridiculous claims of reducing loading times?

A 7% increase does seem excessive, but I don't disagree with differential pricing that incentivises off-bus purchasing. Whether m-tickets are the best answer, I can't judge, because I've no experience of them.

(28/02/2017 20:47)Dentonian Wrote:  Delays by Passengers paying cash is a tiny, tiny proportion compared to [...]

I don't disagree with you there. But handling cash has other costs, and security implications, that it's not unreasonable for companies to consider.

I wouldn't really want to see acceptance of cash phased out altogether - after all, I have found myself in a situation where I wanted to catch a bus with my wife and son in London, and we couldn't because we only had two debit cards between us. However, if paying by cash comes to be perceived as the "emergency" option, then I don't think that's a particularly bad thing.

[acocker96]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
Collecting cash fares has been fine since the 1900's on the horse drawn buses from then to buses now, it can't suddenly be a problem. The issue comes when passengers wait until on the bus to get their change and then can't seem to decide where they are going to debate with themselves whether or not to buy a day saver.

[motormayhem1]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(01/03/2017 00:52)acocker96 Wrote:  Collecting cash fares has been fine since the 1900's on the horse drawn buses from then to buses now, it can't suddenly be a problem. The issue comes when passengers wait until on the bus to get their change and then can't seem to decide where they are going to debate with themselves whether or not to buy a day saver.

The other problem is the amount of people that get on with notes as some passengers don't even try to get near enough the correct fare as when you ask them have they anything smaller most will pull out the right fare or smaller change instead of the note there trying to use.

[SLTRegular]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
I love being in a country where paying with cash is frowned upon one of the few things Australia has done so much better than the Uk

[Owl]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
SKM yesterday reported further new arrivals...

"Further new Enviro 400MMCs to arrive here are 10846/47 (SN17MJE/F)"

[M60lad]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
Another Hybrid Fire this time on Gill Bent Road in Cheadle Hulme:

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/n...e-12672222

[Mayneway]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
Some funny comments regarding contactless payments above. Presumably all those that think it's a quicker alternative to handing over cash - I disagree.
Only last night I was in a shell petrol station waiting to pay (cash) for my fuel. The chap in front had his phone out waving it in front of the card reader trying to pay, after several attempts he ended up getting his card out of his wallet and paying the conventional way.
Contactless is very hit and miss. Cards from accounts with plenty of money in don't often work contactless. I personally don't think stagecoach would see the benifit of doing away with accepting cash.