tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post7089880341412040534..comments2024-03-29T08:14:43.839+00:00Comments on Public Transport Experience: A Jolly Day with 6, 6A! (2)fatbusblokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06833340546527596517noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-46901226801250588412015-03-27T08:33:42.407+00:002015-03-27T08:33:42.407+00:00Certainly if you are in an area that has got it...Certainly if you are in an area that has got it's hot-listing (the process where lost, stolen or invalid cards can be blocked from being used across the network) working then a driver ignoring an invalid message against a card would be considered to be aiding a fraudulent use and so could get into trouble, in areas which haven't got hot-listing working it would be considered less of a hot topic for the drivers. It was found pretty quickly that ITSO cards didn't read particularly quickly and weren't really going to speed up OAP boarding times over using a flash pass (ITSO is the national standard that needs to be adhered to if a smartcard is going to be able to be read on any operator), non-ITSO cards are less difficult and will read quicker than ITSO cards but will only work on specific machines carrying the specific programming required to read them.<br /><br />Smartcards can be a little susceptible to damaged because the aerial that allows the card to be read runs around the edge of the card any slightly cracking can break the aerial and stop it communicating so if a driver can spot a crack in the card he can advise the customer better on what to do next with a non-working card (he may also give the customer the benefit of the doubt on a faulty card if it is damaged over if it is just not being accepted).dwarfer1979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-56153455551075045822015-03-27T08:23:57.600+00:002015-03-27T08:23:57.600+00:00It's all dependent on the ETM & back offic...It's all dependent on the ETM & back office provider used in each case as to whether they get the information, though both Arriva & First appear from reports to be quite bad at passing programming information between companies whilst Stagecoach seem good at it. The big groups appear to use their own bespoke back office systems whilst smaller operators will tend to 'piggy-back' on a local authority back office organised by a national provider who should apply all the details it gets across all its operators. Trent would probably be included by South Yorkshire as a local operator in passing out details in any case (they reach Chesterfield which is very close & sister company TM Travel are based on the edge of Sheffield) whilst Midland Classic I think use a system that is also used by a number of operators in Yorkshire so may well get the info that way. It is an issue for Arriva in a way for not getting their back office systems working nationally but it also highlights the confusion created by the fragmented way concessionary fares are managed with no national system for disseminating programming data across the country whilst the operators then risk losing a proportion of their BSOG payments for not being able to read all the passes they didn't know they couldn't read.dwarfer1979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-83317447822458335412015-03-26T17:22:41.962+00:002015-03-26T17:22:41.962+00:00I am given to understand that drivers that enter O...I am given to understand that drivers that enter OAP passes manually can be called to account over it, as some authorities question why the card wasn't registered correctly, as they can get all sorts of data from the chip when aggregated in the back office (Mrs Scroggins travels every Tuesday and Friday to town and back, but on Saturday goes for a day out to the coast). That's why drivers are instructed to try everything to register the pass correctly (plus of course it might be stolen or barred for some reason).<br /><br />Seriously though . . . it is possible to get some good Origin and Destination data from these ETM's, which does help with service planning and the like (shades of MAP from the 1980's).<br /><br />Anonymous @ 1238 - shame on you! If you can't submit a constructive comment or bother to append an ID, then don't bother at all.greenline727https://www.blogger.com/profile/03033268278026535109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-68483290249039039142015-03-26T13:51:00.354+00:002015-03-26T13:51:00.354+00:00Is it suddenly 1955 again, where timid little girl...Is it suddenly 1955 again, where timid little girlies are not allowed out on their own without a chaperone?<br />As for 'invalid' smartcards, I'm taken by the shenanigans that go on trying to get card to talk to ticket machine - drivers rubbing them on jumpers, holding them aloft near the ceiling, you name it - and wasn't this supposed to speed up boarding times?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-70476914949078426282015-03-26T13:35:30.982+00:002015-03-26T13:35:30.982+00:00For the benfit of the tetchy remarks above, let th...For the benfit of the tetchy remarks above, let the record state that Mrs fbb travelled early and indepedently at her own request. The offer of a shared journey was made - as always. Mrs fbb is a big girl now. fbb is not in the slightest way repentant and will not take responsibily for First Great Western's incompetence. And he saved 40% of his indulgence by travelling later, not 5p.fatbusblokehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06833340546527596517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-83859172520521459132015-03-26T12:38:53.100+00:002015-03-26T12:38:53.100+00:00So essentially you've written a blog to show h...So essentially you've written a blog to show how you let your wife travel alone to save yourself a poxy few quid. She gets into all sorts of difficulty whilst you sit stuffing your face high on the self satisfaction of your encyclopaedic knowledge of the railways.<br /><br />Husband of the Year!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-77700839085899386082015-03-26T08:47:03.674+00:002015-03-26T08:47:03.674+00:00Why did FBB not spend an extra five pence, travel ...Why did FBB not spend an extra five pence, travel with his wife to Exeter St Davids to ensure that she caught the correct train to Dawlish and then indulge in his daily feast of cholesterol - the needs of the stomach obviously were more important than assisting his wife!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-91971373900974097792015-03-26T08:44:42.220+00:002015-03-26T08:44:42.220+00:00Re Dwarfer1979. I hold a South Yorks ENCTS pass bu...Re Dwarfer1979. I hold a South Yorks ENCTS pass but use Arriva Midlands buses once a fortnight. Arriva's machines have never read my pass correctly - apparently due to an IT problem of some kind. Most drivers take a look and wave me on, but one worthy from Cannock Garage frequently caused unpleasantness by loudly insisting that my pass WASN'T valid. This has stopped following a complaint to Arriva Customer Services (and a nice reply by phone)- but the fault seems to lie at Arriva's end - journeys on Midland Classic and TrentBarton don't cause problems.Dennis Dratnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-15064866486446329792015-03-26T08:25:00.869+00:002015-03-26T08:25:00.869+00:00Ref: fbbs question about an ENCTS card not being v...Ref: fbbs question about an ENCTS card not being valid, there are a number of reasons why such a card may no longer be genuinely valid despite the photo matching the holder & them looking old enough. The card may simply have expired and not been renewed, this may be due to simple innocent forgetfulness but it may be because the person has moved away and is no longer eligible for one. The card may have been reported lost or stolen with a replacement issued which would mean the original was no longer valid (we have had experience of friends & relations being caught using other peoples ENCTS cards & one person who had two cards in their possession). If DCC have got their systems working (not all Local Authorities have) then drivers will be under instruction not to accept cards (especially local ones) that show as not valid on their machines and whilst there is some room for discretion the driver would have to consider it at the time. Of course this all assumes it was a local pass, if it was a non-local one then there are all sorts of other issues but they are technical reasons not genuine ones, largely around how bad some LAs are in telling non-local organisations & operators the details of their card programming so they can ensure the cards are read across England.dwarfer1979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-81341407547333849872015-03-26T08:11:28.489+00:002015-03-26T08:11:28.489+00:00With modern technology it is also no longer "...With modern technology it is also no longer "rocket science" to have a display inside the carriage, indicating (at least) the final destination.RC169https://www.blogger.com/profile/03921368833118123055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-30226828035781042432015-03-26T03:09:45.941+00:002015-03-26T03:09:45.941+00:00Yes, there's no excuse for split trains not to...Yes, there's no excuse for split trains not to have platform displays for each destination and part, announcements of the same, and on-board announcements with sufficient time before departure. South West Trains manage to do all of that Woking on Sundays and presumably on their other splitting trains as well.Anonybusnoreply@blogger.com