London Banter - View Single Post - TfL To Remove Roadside Ticket Machines For Buses

Richard · September 22nd 12, 09:17 AM posted to uk.transport.london

On Mon, 17 Sep 2012 09:17:16 -0500,
wrote:

In article

, (Neil Williams) wrote:

When did I say anything about leaving [pram] on the pavement? My assumption
would be that they would board at the centre door, stow it, wait for the
doors to close and then move forward in the bus to pay the driver. Or if
they have Oyster, have a reader there so no need. [...]

Right. The buses round here don't have centre doors. And many parents would[n't]
leave a child out of their sight, even in the middle of a bus.

Extraordinary how so much of the civilised world thinks that one door
is enough on a bus. At least London does it the right way (after a
dodgy few years in the 90s) and Dublin has seen the error of its ways.

In Barcelona (as London, proper number of doors, wheelchair ramp at
the centre door), there is no pole to split entry but there is a
validator on each side of the aisle behind the driver and this seems
enough to tempt people into the inside of the bus while the relatively
small proportion of passengers pay cash at the front. Validation
failures are rare but are dealt with quickly -- in my case by getting
a free ride!

In London, with such a small percentage paying cash, the mechanics of
the payment are IMO almost unimportant so why not do what is about to
happen -- payment possible on the bus, with change given. Much more
passenger-friendly.

Richard.