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Passenger hits out at 'no change' on buses policy

4:00pm Thursday 27th November 2008 in


AN ANNOYED Thamesdown Transport passenger has called for change machines to be installed at bus stations after being caught out by the company’s ‘no change’ policy.

Mark Titcombe, 24, from South Marston, says during the current recession people should not be penalised for not having the right change.

His comments come months after an Advertiser investigation found that Thamesdown Transport made an extra £137,438 from customers after introducing its exact-fare policy in August 2005.

Mark believes the machines would save the company time while help passengers.

He said: “Why doesn’t Thamesdown install change machines at its bus stations, or even at some individual bus stops to aid people who don’t have the correct change?

“If the aim of the policy is to speed up travel times then this would still happen but they wouldn’t be pocketing the change as profit, which surely isn’t acceptable, especially during a recession.”

Mark was caught out by the ‘no change’ policy last week after forgetting it was in place.

He said: “With the quoted £137,000 they have made so far Thamesdown should be able to fork out on 10 to 20 change machines around Swindon.”

However, Paul Jenkins, the company’s managing director, believes that change machines only work in big cities like London.

He said: “It is true that it would help with saving time but I don’t think that would be an economic proposition for us – there are more than 1,000 stops and even if you were to place the machines on the main ones it wouldn’t give us value.

“We have considered it but they work best in a high volume environment. Fleming Way is not high volume compared to the big cities.

“It is not an economic proposition there.

“When you add in maintenance and emptying the machines it wouldn’t work – we are, instead, encouraging people to have a season ticket or network card.”

Comments(37)

nelle2705 says...
4:25pm Thu 27 Nov 08

Thamesdown have always been money grabbing so in so's. Now they have the power to do as they please regarding how they charge fares on theor buses, there is no stopping them. I tink they need to be regulated like everything else.

Thamesdown Transort please treat your customers like customers and not as your personal bank.

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Leo Sayer says...
4:27pm Thu 27 Nov 08

I agree, also for the little bit extra that the general public are potentially paying do you think you could make your busses run on time??

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yeti says...
4:29pm Thu 27 Nov 08

i also think it is unacceptable not to be given change when paying a fare.alot of the time people dont have the exact money for many differing reasons.why they should then be penalised for it is an absolute disgrace.
the bus company is owned by the council and they should have never of allowed the exact fare rules anyway.
ABOLSIH THE PATHETC PRACTICE NOW!

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yeti says...
4:29pm Thu 27 Nov 08

i also think it is unacceptable not to be given change when paying a fare.alot of the time people dont have the exact money for many differing reasons.why they should then be penalised for it is an absolute disgrace.
the bus company is owned by the council and they should have never of allowed the exact fare rules anyway.
ABOLISH THE PATHETC PRACTICE NOW!

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yeti says...
4:29pm Thu 27 Nov 08

i also think it is unacceptable not to be given change when paying a fare.alot of the time people dont have the exact money for many differing reasons.why they should then be penalised for it is an absolute disgrace.
the bus company is owned by the council and they should have never of allowed the exact fare rules anyway.
ABOLISH THE PATHETC PRACTICE NOW!

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nelle2705 says...
4:31pm Thu 27 Nov 08

Leo Sayer wrote:
I agree, also for the little bit extra that the general public are potentially paying do you think you could make your busses run on time??
Totally agree, I forgot to mention that, also their drivers seem to think they are on race tracks half the time as well. I reported a driver not so long ago regarding his driving and nothing was done. not even an apology did i get. bring back old swindon buses..

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yeti says...
4:32pm Thu 27 Nov 08

oops.**** these multiple postsa

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The Artist formally known as Grumpy Old Man says...
4:38pm Thu 27 Nov 08

The answer, surely, is for everyone to make sure you look in every last corner of every last pocket, every nook and every cranny in that handbag, every section of that purse/wallet, in order to find the correct change (once on the bus of course). That way once the delays start hitting their profits they'll have to do something about it!

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cfa says...
4:47pm Thu 27 Nov 08

Also tell them that you want to be dropped off "exactly" outside your house aswell and not the nearest stop.

Reg Varney must be turning in his grave.

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tarot says...
5:15pm Thu 27 Nov 08

I keep all my copper and silver in a pot and get fare every morning from it. the smaller the change the better.

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Always Grumpy says...
5:22pm Thu 27 Nov 08

tarot wrote:
I keep all my copper and silver in a pot and get fare every morning from it. the smaller the change the better.
Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a weekly pass if you have to use the bus every day?

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swindonbornandbred says...
5:38pm Thu 27 Nov 08

nelle2705 wrote:
Leo Sayer wrote: I agree, also for the little bit extra that the general public are potentially paying do you think you could make your busses run on time??
Totally agree, I forgot to mention that, also their drivers seem to think they are on race tracks half the time as well. I reported a driver not so long ago regarding his driving and nothing was done. not even an apology did i get. bring back old swindon buses..
I would love for you to get on my husbands bus and tell him he,s on a race track,im sure he would love to hear it.
Yes some of the drivers do go a bit mad but that don,t mean to say they are all the same.

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Captain T says...
6:07pm Thu 27 Nov 08

I think it depends on what sort of change you need. When I've had a £2 coin and needed a single, the driver took the £1 paid by the next passenger and gave it to me as 'change' I think this should be common sense, but if people start demanding say, 60p in change, to be fair it is easy to go to a bank and ask for some loose change.

Or just buy a travelpass

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monyet says...
6:14pm Thu 27 Nov 08

Im a black cab driver I have a letter from the council refusing to give me the legal reasons why I cant do the same as thamesdown transport by not giving change but remember swindon borough council own 99 % of the company

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hog man says...
6:18pm Thu 27 Nov 08

the crazy part about the no change policy is they keep the money , when it still realy belongs to the fare paying passengers , i call it highway robbery , they should give it all back to the public , as cheaper fares

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Futures says...
6:44pm Thu 27 Nov 08

I use Thamesdown busses all of the time, and it doesn't speed up on times atall, it's just another money grabbing trick.
I have to get a minimum of 6 buses a day to get around, and the Stagecoach buses, where they give you change, are no slower than the Thamesdown ones!

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Inky says...
7:07pm Thu 27 Nov 08

I luckily rarely use Thamesdown buses, got caught last time for £2 for a £1.60 fare - rip off

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tarot says...
7:10pm Thu 27 Nov 08

Always Grumpy wrote:
tarot wrote:
I keep all my copper and silver in a pot and get fare every morning from it. the smaller the change the better.
Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a weekly pass if you have to use the bus every day?
I only get the bus three times a week one way, so no not really.

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PeeveD says...
8:18pm Thu 27 Nov 08

THIEVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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who dat? says...
8:37pm Thu 27 Nov 08

Funny - people whinge about a few pence on the buses and yet we have 2
Nu Lie-bore MPs in this town -both supporters of the Robber McBroon and his stealth taxing of everything that moves!
Funny old world!

Anyway , why doesn't TT operate a no fares day once a month to compensate for the money grabbing?

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mwall says...
8:53pm Thu 27 Nov 08

I think is wrong not to give change when you get on the bus who do they think they are thamesdown. it wouldnt happen if you purchased an item from a shop would it?. I live a way from town shop not realy that local and i dont have loads of change on me if i ever decide to get a bus and thats where they get vunerable customers

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mwall says...
8:53pm Thu 27 Nov 08

I think is wrong not to give change when you get on the bus who do they think they are thamesdown. it wouldnt happen if you purchased an item from a shop would it?. I live a way from town shop not realy that local and i dont have loads of change on me if i ever decide to get a bus and thats where they get vunerable customers

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Robh says...
9:04pm Thu 27 Nov 08

It would be pay back if all shops, pubs and clubs insisted that Paul Jenkins paid the exact money every time to make serving him quicker.

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RF1 says...
11:27pm Thu 27 Nov 08

cfa wrote:

Reg Varney must be turning in his grave.

Only since 16/11 :-)

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malkym1 says...
7:18am Fri 28 Nov 08

HH!! HA!!! HA!! "I'll get you Butler"

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cfa says...
7:55am Fri 28 Nov 08

"You get back on that bus Butler"

"Olive you silly cow"

www.onthebusesfanclu
b.co.uk

No joke check out this website.

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Chowmai says...
8:06am Fri 28 Nov 08

In other areas the 'exact fare' rule is underpinned by 'credit notes' for the change being printed out at the same time as the ticket.
These can then. in turn, be used to pay other fares.
Would it not be possible for Thamesdown to do that. OR, instead of a weekly bus pass do a 'trip based' bus pass for those who dont travel enough in one week to warrant a bus pass.

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Opinionated Wench says...
8:27am Fri 28 Nov 08

How can they say it's to speed up travel time, these buses NEVER run on time, so bring back change for customers!!! Tight scabby scrooges

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Tonyblairisthedevil says...
8:51am Fri 28 Nov 08

The one down Torun way always seems to run on time or at least when i used it... I only use it to go into town at weekends as its loads cheaper than the taxis..

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tibbie says...
11:04am Fri 28 Nov 08

what about using a network card then.

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ourtone says...
11:57am Fri 28 Nov 08

yeti, swindon says...
4:29pm Thu 27 Nov 08
the bus company is owned by the council and they should have never of allowed the exact fare rules anyway.
ABOLISH THE PATHETC PRACTICE NOW!


The Council do own Thamesdown but they are legally not allowed to have any control over running the buses.

Thamesdown is run by a board of directors, most of whom aren’t Councillors.

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malkym1 says...
2:43pm Fri 28 Nov 08

tibbie wrote:
what about using a network card then.
Exactly Tibbie - a moneyless bus system using pre-charged cards, could be available at po's, bus station, etc. As to putting change machines at the bus station - great idea - the druggies and winos will smash them up -grab the money - and go and buy more booze from the offies flogging it to under age kids and more hash from the expanding network of cannabis factories!

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LordBelacqua says...
3:05pm Fri 28 Nov 08

malkym1 wrote:
tibbie wrote: what about using a network card then.
Exactly Tibbie - a moneyless bus system using pre-charged cards, could be available at po's, bus station, etc. As to putting change machines at the bus station - great idea - the druggies and winos will smash them up -grab the money - and go and buy more booze from the offies flogging it to under age kids and more hash from the expanding network of cannabis factories!
Malky, she's suggesting using a "NetworkCard", which is exactly the system you suggested and is already in place and working wonderfully! You can top them up at any PayPoint machine, or (I believe, don't quote me) on the bus itself for up to £15.

Why people are moaning I don't know. You'd lose less by paying a £10 deposit down for a NetworkCard than you would losing your change on the bus. It's moaning for the sake of moaning.

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PeeGee says...
4:30pm Fri 28 Nov 08

I caught a bus for the first in months recently. I already knew about the no change policy. So, I looked up the prices on the TT website and took the correct change with me. It's not rocket science. Why a regular user would complain is beyond me - they know the fares before they travel.

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tibbie says...
5:24pm Fri 28 Nov 08

I use the bus daily and I will be getting a netword card far easier than making sure that you have the correct amount of change for your fair and besides you can also use them to purchase day rider tickets as well

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tibbie says...
5:41pm Fri 28 Nov 08

tibbie, swindon says...
5:24pm Fri 28 Nov 08
I use the bus daily and I will be getting a network card far easier than making sure that you have the correct amount of change for your fare and besides you can also use them to purchase day rider tickets as well

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malkym1 says...
9:39pm Fri 28 Nov 08

Lord B ta for the update - not a regular user of the old peasant wagon yet - but in a year or so - it 'll be free buses all the time - so i wont even have to use a Network card lol!

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