Didn't realise they were working on this. Interesting, will need to give it a shot.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
Lothian Buses launch virtual ticket app
(85 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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This bit from the Beeb news site has me concerned:
They then show the screen to the driver when boarding the bus. The minimum spend is £10, which lasts 90 days.
So if you don't spend all the credit on the card, Lothian Buses swallow it up with no possibility of refund?
Posted 11 years ago # -
Given my £25 worth of city singles has lasted me a couple of years now (since before the price increase to £1.40) I don't think this will work out for me.
Shame as it would be handy to have a little bit of money as an emergecy weather option or a late-night-too-drunk-to-cycle night bus home option.
Posted 11 years ago # -
So if you don't spend all the credit on the card, Lothian Buses swallow it up with no possibility of refund?
If you are unlikely to use 7 journeys within 90 days then you are probably not going to go to the bother of downloading the app and buying the credit.
It is probably to stop people buying bazzillions and never having to have another ticket price increase.
Posted 11 years ago # -
It is probably to stop people buying bazzillions and never having to have another ticket price increase.
The actual ticket is only valid for 5 minutes so its more likeley they just don't want to have loads of money kicking around on orphaned accounts.Posted 11 years ago # -
If you are unlikely to use 7 journeys within 90 days then you are probably not going to go to the bother of downloading the app and buying the credit.
Kinda disagree
I often dont carry my wallet(leave it work so many times!) or more often have no cash in it!
Many a time loading my Starbucks card has been my only way of grabbing a quite bite etc@steveo I think Min means folks buying the pre paid paper tickets
Posted 11 years ago # -
"Single journey tickets will be valid for five minutes from the time they are activated – which could cause problems for harassed mums juggling toddlers."
Lovely bit of subtle sexism thrown in there. And really, it can take 5 minutes for someone to get on a bus with toddlers? Yes, absolutely, and understandably, it takes a bit longer than someone so unencumbered, but is reaching into your pocket and activating an app so much more difficult than reaching into your purse andcounting out the right change? And does it take 'harassed mums' a full five minutes already? (you know Edinburgh, the tutting would be deafening, as would the lack of help from anyone doing the tutting).
Posted 11 years ago # -
p.s. I'll be using this. Much more convenient!
Posted 11 years ago # -
You would never catch a harrased dad juggling toddlers while trying to get on a bus - too impractical.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@steveo I think Min means folks buying the pre paid paper tickets
No, I am talking about the 90 day limit on the electronic tickets. Otherwise you could buy (say) £300 worth and just spend the rest of your life getting £1.50 journeys. But they may just come up with the current price on the day of course, I don't really know how these things work.
Steveo could be right too.
Posted 11 years ago # -
In so far as you're not buying '10 singles', I assumed it would just deduct that days cost. Actually I thought this was a way around the problem caused by City singles hoarders. Which is why the 90 day limit doesn't make sense.
Posted 11 years ago # -
It looks from the app that you don't load it with £10 credit, you have to buy tickets of at least a value of £10. So 3 day tickets for example, or 7 singles or a combination of them all.
I guess the £10 limit is because of transaction costs for credit cards etc.
I think it's a great idea. Let's hope in the future they make it a bit more flexible so you do buy credit which you then spend or even better like the London Oyster cards, so it calculates the best value tickets for you - e.g. if you you make two single journeys a day you get charged for those, but if you make 3+ you just pay for a day ticket. I'm guessing you show the phone to the driver then he issues you a physical ticket (like with the city singles) so the oyster card type pricing wouldn't work.
Well done them for trying something innovative.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"And really, it can take 5 minutes for someone to get on a bus with toddlers?"
I think the complication, if travelling with a buggy, would be having to wait to see if there was a buggy space available.
I did like Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head's comment:
"There are some things that are better left as they are---the old fashioned way. Bus tickets are one of those things."
He's definitely trolling.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I think the complication, if travelling with a buggy, would be having to wait to see if there was a buggy space available.
Well, apparently it is only women that take 5 minutes to get on the bus. The simple solution is to get a man to do it. Men are capable of getting on a bus with toddlers without feeling harassed or taking a stupidly long time over it.
Posted 11 years ago # -
The commenters are well in their moaning element today, with the added joy that most of them just don't actually understand this stuff. one prime example:
"I don't think many people will take the risk in buying a single ticket that is only valid for 5 mins. Sometimes it takes 5 minutes to get everybody off and on the bus, add in a couple of awkward mothers with prams and a wheelchair user and you'd be £1.50 out of pocket."
Right, see, the thing about the app is... It's an offline thing. You buy your credit through it, then when the bus is coming, you start up the app, and as you board you hit the 'activate' button. So actually catching the bus doesn't need a signal, and it's not tied to 5 minutes from actually buying the credit.
And really. Again. Does it really sometimes take 5 minutes to get everyone on and off the bus? Some people have absolutely no genuine concept of time. 5 minutes is a really long time, when you're sat on a bus. I'm not sure I've ever sat on a bus waiting for everyone to get on and off, for a full five minutes. And anyway, again, you just activate as you get on the bus, not when it appears halfway up the road away from the stop.
"Can see it now. A recipe for disaster. Its clearly for the tourists benifit, as usual"
Eh? (and that's not just in response to the awful grammar...)
Posted 11 years ago # -
Its a smashing idea, I dont use the bus quite enough, but I still think its a great idea for those 'inbetween' people - i.e. not me, and not those with a season ticket.
Contrary to the daftness of the EEN story, I suspect it will be a great benefit to "harrassed mothers / fathers" with pushchairs - there is more chance their phone will have the credit than they will have precisely £1.50 in change.
I think there are a lot of people (EEN forumites?) who moan about everything - even things which (on the face of it) are positive.
Being so negative must be so exhausting.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I downloaded the app this morning, clicked on the Buy m-Tickets link and it took me back to the Play store to download a SECOND app. Then I noticed the tenner minimum purchase. Didn't bother downloading the 2nd app and quickly uninstalled the first.
I'll be sticking to my books of CitySingles and the wonderful My Bus Edinburgh app that I've been using for many years now.
It'd be far handier if you could buy a single ticket on the go when you realised you'd no change and no wallet on you. If you can buy 99p apps & no-one complains about 'credit card charges', then surely it's possible to be able to buy a single £1.50 ticket. That'd be a far handier app.
Think I'm turning into an EEN-style misery ;-)
Posted 11 years ago # -
It's a great idea, and don't have any problem with buying £10 of credit, I have a Oyster card with about £15 on it lying around.
But expiring the credit after 90 days is just plain mean. One of the main reasons I avoid the bus is never having change, so potentially this is perfect for me. But from where I'm sitting at the moment it just won't work for me.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Hopefully they'll revise the 90 day thing because that's the only downside, assuming the rest is implemented properly. I simply don't make enough journeys to justify it as it currently stands.
@ cb
"I did like Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head's comment:
...
He's definitely trolling. "
It's the sole reason he (and a number of others) have EEN accounts.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I'm pretty sure I could use the bus 7 times in 3 months to use up the £10. Other half downloaded the app and seems quite impressed by it.
Posted 11 years ago # -
The journey planner seems good, too. But I really just want the ability to put credit on a ridacard, like the oyster, and have it work out if it should be charging me another single or capping at a day ticket.
Posted 11 years ago # -
What are "books of city singles?".
My boyfriend likes the look of the app. I think we'd use it.Posted 11 years ago # -
What are "books of city singles?".
You purchase a bulk load of the £1.50 tickets upfront, doesn't save any money but means you don't spend it on cake getting change.
http://lothianbuses.com/timetables-tickets-maps/fares-and-ticketsPosted 11 years ago # -
They'll post them out for free if you buy online.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I did not know you could buy them online/get them posted. Cool!
Posted 11 years ago # -
Thank you.
Posted 11 years ago # -
You purchase a bulk load of the £1.50 tickets upfront, doesn't save any money but means you don't spend it on cake getting change.
So you don't save any money and you don't get any cake. Sounds rubbish.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"New, not quite good enough for all app increases sale of bulk paper City Singles ticket shocker"
Oops! ;-)
Posted 11 years ago # -
I've used city singles for ages now but they are bulky unless you are diligent enough to only bring a few at a time and top up your wallet.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Bulky??? I carry an entire book in my wallet and they're definitely not what I'd call bulky - unless you're a weight-weenie cyclist... ;-)
Posted 11 years ago #
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