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20/04/2007, 6:26 PM dislexic clockspring Joined on 23/05/2006 hellesdon Posts 38 First travel and bus strikes in norwich First bus travel, why was I given a £1.50 ticket when I paid £2.00 . My dad who has his bus pass got on the bus with his grand daughter whom  he was asked to pay 40p when he checked his tickets he had been issued two free tickets why? Today first buses were on strike, their were no queues of traffic when I went into the city did any one  notice. Also the air quailty seemed very fresh. I was led to belive bus travel was enviramentaly friendly. Can anyone explain this strange phenomenon.    Report

28/02/2008, 9:51 PM Lady Phoenix Joined on 14/10/2006 Norwich Posts 16 Re: First travel and bus strikes in norwich As an ex-bus driver I can explain that the answer to the is a very simple yet very sad reason. All bus drivers carry a little black box called a module. This is basically a mini computer that records everything that they do on the ticket machine. It records the total amount of money taken. When the driver finishes on the bus they "book off" and take the module with them. When they get in the office they insert the module into a machine which provides a readout of how much money they have taken. The driver then pays thay amount in. When a driver charges you £2.00 for a ticket but only issues a ticket for £1.50 they the other 50p goes in their pocket. It is immoral, illegal and tax free. It may not sound a lot but it is not unusual for a driver working a 12 hour hour shift starting at 6am to take more than 100 fare paying passengers (Bear in mind that when you see a double decker bus with passengers pressed against the windows their are over 70 passengers on that one bus). OK, so the driver has made around £50 that day on top of their wages. OK, so whats the big deal. Right, suppose you get on a 21 bus at Bowthorpe and ask for a single to the City Center. Thats £2.00 but in order to issue a £1.50 the driver has to issue a ticket to the Earl Of Leicester on Dereham Road. Right, so you go past the Earl Of Leicester unaware, and 2 stops down there is an inspector waiting. He will check you ticket and First Group can then take you to court and prosecute you for fare dodging. All for 50p? As to environmentally friendly, I suppose the theory is that if one bus brings in 70 people in one journey then that would be about 30 less cars on the road. Therefore if 20 buses were on the road thats 600 less cars.   Penny Many Thanks Penny Blake penny@blake-family.me.uk http://www.blake-family.me.uk    Report

01/03/2008, 8:53 AM MattW Joined on 15/02/2004 Norwich Posts 113 Re: First travel and bus strikes in norwich Renationise the bus service I say, and lets have subsided fares. That would reduce the number of cars going into the city centre. Unless I go into the city centre for the whole day, its more cost effective to drive there and pay for the parking!    Report

30/04/2008, 12:36 PM dislexic clockspring Joined on 23/05/2006 hellesdon Posts 38 Re: First travel and bus strikes in norwich I think it's disgusting that you so blatantly tell us how bus drivers top up their wages with the odd 50p here & there with the possibility that we may find ourselves later on being wrongly accused of fare dodging. Clearly the lesson to be learned here is, When paying your fare check the ticket before you sit down as afterwards it's your word against the driver!! As for being environmentlly friendly, First Travel really needs to do some deep cleaning on their buses as last time I was on a bus I could'nt help notice how grubby the seats were not to mention the rest of the interior. My car like most people's is kept clean and so therefore inviting to use, the same cannot be said for For Travel.    Report

30/04/2008, 4:41 PM BT Joined on 26/07/2005 Posts 13 Re: First travel and bus strikes in norwich Re cleaning on the buses., perhaps we should start with the behavior of the passengers. On a recent trip to the hospital on a 21 there were 2 well dressed young women - not schoolgirls - sitting with their dirty boots on the seat opposite to them. Not wishing to cause a commotion I didn't say anything, but this is the sort of behavior that needs to be addressed. There seems to be a total disrespect for other peoples property by certain people. I'm sure they wouldn't do this at home. BT    Report

30/04/2008, 5:46 PM Lady Phoenix Joined on 14/10/2006 Norwich Posts 16 Re: First travel and bus strikes in norwich I think it's disgusting that you so blatantly tell us how bus drivers top up their wages with the odd 50p here & there with the possibility that we may find ourselves later on being wrongly accused of fare dodging. Clearly the lesson to be learned here is, When paying your fare check the ticket before you sit down as afterwards it's your word against the driver!! I apologise if I upset you by answering YOUR question, however, your sentence emphasises my point exactly, check your ticket. I`m not saying all drivers are topping up their wages, in fact out of over 300 or so drivers that work with First in Norwich alone I would like to bet that you can count the number of bad apples on one hand. Many Thanks Penny Blake penny@blake-family.me.uk http://www.blake-family.me.uk    Report

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