When will TfL begin to run a bus service as a convenience to the paying passenger rather than to simply stick to a timetable? Time after time I have been on board a bus, which after passengers have paid their fares has altered its destination short of the one displayed on the vehicle. As often as not getting a transfer ticket out of the surly driver is like getting blood out of a stone but nevertheless it’s “all off “. London is a busy city and delays can and do often happen. Is it too much of the bus operating companies to take note of this and leave a little leeway in their schedules?

> When will TfL begin to run a bus service as a
> convenience to the paying passenger rather than to
> simply stick to a timetable? Time after time I have
> been on board a bus, which after passengers have paid
> their fares has altered its destination short of the
> one displayed on the vehicle. As often as not getting
> a transfer ticket out of the surly driver is like
> getting blood out of a stone but nevertheless it’s
> “all off “. London is a busy city and delays can and
> do often happen. Is it too much of the bus operating
> companies to take note of this and leave a little
> leeway in their schedules?

.. and why indeed does the cost of a bus journey from X to Y vary not with distance or time taken, but with the number of transfers you have to make? Basically, the more inconvenient the journey is, the more it costs you!

> .. and why indeed does the cost of a bus journey from
> X to Y vary not with distance or time taken, but with
> the number of transfers you have to make? Basically,
> the more inconvenient the journey is, the more it
> costs you!

Perhaps it's a deterent to ease over-crowding? Perhaps it's thinly-veiled profiteering? Most likely a bit of the two, with a sprinkle of incompetence thrown in.

I think with an Oyster card it's different, isn't it? There is a maximum daily fare anyone will pay, and then it becomes a daily travelcard.

> I think with an Oyster card it's different, isn't it?

No.

> There is a maximum daily fare anyone will pay, and
> then it becomes a daily travelcard.

You pay £1 per bus journey. 10 journeys in a day will still be £10.
It's better than £2 per journey cash equivalent fare.

There's really no excuse not to pay by Oyster on bus any more.

When I lived in Islington this was a daily problem. I'd get on a 38 or 19 bus from the West End and it would suddenly terminate at outside Angel station whereas previously it was marked to go all the way to the end of the route. Pay as yuo go Oyster card or single ticket then had to waste time trying to get a transfer ticket from the driver to be able to get another bus. Thank god they converted the 38 to a bendy bus, at least you can hop on them for the last part of the journey without paying....

Years ago, when I used to use the Northern Line regularly, I often would get on train heading south with Morden as the destination. With annoying regularity the train would often terminate at either Kennington or Tooting Broadway. Full trains would be 'decanted', and we would be expected to all cram on to the next, often full, train.

And heading north, trains would regularly change which branch they were going via (Bank or Charing Cross).

I don't know if that still happens, but it was quite annoying.

reason that is done is due to bus more then likley running late and to get it back on time the route will be curtailed early. ie driver maybe due his dinner break and another driver will be waiting at allocated place to take that bus over. if that bus continues on the journey it started on then u will have a knock on affecting other buses and there schedules..

>mandycake

> I think with an Oyster card it's different, isn't it?

>della_duckboarder

>No.
>You pay £1 per bus journey. 10 journeys in a day will still be £10.
>It's better than £2 per journey cash equivalent fare.


Uh?

Daily price capping is the most you will be charged a day when you use Oyster to pay as you go on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and some National Rail services.



http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/singlefares/5196.aspx

>Headhunter

>Thank god they converted the 38 to a bendy bus, at least you can hop on them for the last part of the journey without paying....

Well, at least until you get caught doing it.

> Uh?
>
> Daily price capping is the most you will be
> charged a day when you use Oyster to pay as you go on
> bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and some
> National Rail services.
>
>
>
> http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/singlefa
> es/5196.aspx

Really? I'll have to look closer at that.

I'm not a regular train/tube user, but do hop on and off buses.
When I bought my Oyster, I was told that the advantage was that my journey would be cheaper than a cash equivalent. Nothing was mentioned about capped fares.

Maybe I should take 12 journeys one day and see what happens!

>
> >mandycake
> > I think with an Oyster card it's different, isn't it?
> >della_duckboarder
> >No.
> >You pay £1 per bus journey. 10 journeys in a day
> will still be £10.
> >It's better than £2 per journey cash equivalent fare.
>
> Uh?
>
> Daily price capping is the most you will be
> charged a day when you use Oyster to pay as you go on
> bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and some
> National Rail services.
>
>
>
> http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/singlefa
> es/5196.aspx

The prices are capped to the cost of a day travel card for the zone(s) you traveled through. The point that the primary factor in the cost of a bus journey is the number of transfers you make still stands. Many cities issue transfers which are valid for an hour or so and let you use any buses within that time period. The way that London charges per journey is a total rip-off, because the number of transfers I need to make is dependent on the way in which they've routed the buses.

> >No.
> >You pay £1 per bus journey. 10 journeys in a day
> will still be £10.
> >It's better than £2 per journey cash equivalent fare.
>
> Uh?
>
> Daily price capping is the most you will be
> charged a day when you use Oyster to pay as you go on
> bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and some
> National Rail services.
>
>
>
> http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/singlefa
> es/5196.aspx

I stand corrected.

I took 7 bus journeys on Saturday and it was indeed capped. It cost me less that £7.

I travel on the 38 regularly and often experience this.

Just wondering RH1, did you complain to the bus company?

I dont actually have a problem with the destination being changed mid-route. Apparently it is something to do with the bus drivers having to take scheduled breaks and if they get out of sync through journeys taking too long then they must take enforced breaks. That may the case or it may be a load of b*****ks, but I really dont think that they would do it unless they believed they had good reason. I dont believe for one minute that they are doing it to increase revenue by squeezing a few extra fares from people who are in too much of a hurry/cant be bothered to get a transfer ticket.

What I DO have a problem with is the destination changing and no announcements or apologies being given to passengers. There is no excuse for this and no excuse for the drivers to be rude or surly as you describe. This is what I have complained about in the past and have received decent replies with a promise that the driver in question will be spoken to and my comments passed to their training department.

Now, they may be fobbing me off, or maybe they will do those things. And if they do maybe things will improve. The point is, unless you complain directly to the people who can do something about it, nothing will change.