Bus fares for dogs

[EdinRH]

Lothian Buses played an April Fool yesterday by claiming to be introducing a Ridacard (bus and tram pass) for dogs.

Until the 1980s, this would have been plausible. When I had to start paying fares when I turned five in August 1988, a driver showed me his console and the button he had to press was labelled Child/Dog. He explained that this was because fares for dogs (other than guide dogs) had only recently been abolished and were at the same rate as kids' fares.

Someone posted a picture on Facebook of an actual Lothian bus pass issued to a dog back in the 1980s.

Does anyone know when precisely fares for dogs were abolished on Lothian Region Transport (as Lothian Buses were known prior to 2000)?

A quick search online leads me to believe that fares for dogs still exist in Manchester. Is this true? If so, can you buy a season ticket for a dog for use on Manchester buses?

 

[bearhugger]

I can't speak for Lothian or Manchester buses, but when I drove for Arriva and then Stagecoach in Teesside area we charged 10 or 20p for dogs but they don't seem to charge anyone for dogs now that i've seen. Dog season tickets were definitely not a thing around here.

 

[6Gman]

Lothian Buses played an April Fool yesterday by claiming to be introducing a Ridacard (bus and tram pass) for dogs.

Until the 1980s, this would have been plausible. When I had to start paying fares when I turned five in August 1988, a driver showed me his console and the button he had to press was labelled Child/Dog. He explained that this was because fares for dogs (other than guide dogs) had only recently been abolished and were at the same rate as kids' fares.

Someone posted a picture on Facebook of an actual Lothian bus pass issued to a dog back in the 1980s.

Does anyone know when precisely fares for dogs were abolished on Lothian Region Transport (as Lothian Buses were known prior to 2000)?

A quick search online leads me to believe that fares for dogs still exist in Manchester. Is this true? If so, can you buy a season ticket for a dog for use on Manchester buses?

A Rover ticket surely?

 

[EdinRH]

A Rover ticket surely?

The name given by Lothian Buses to the fictitious dog version of the Ridacard was SnoutAboutTown Ticket.

 

[Geordie driver]

When I started with the NBC ( United Auto mobile Services) we had dog fares, 10p IIRC.

No one ever charged it, it was seen as poor form.

There were some rules re loading, 3 dogs max per level, when the miners were taking their whippets racing this was widely ignored.

When the Pitbull terrier emerged they brought in a no bull terrier rule.

 

[Simon75]

A similar thread

Dogs on buses and coaches

I'm interested to know on the rules etc between operators with dogs on buses and coaches (except guide dogs)

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Dai Corner]

Newport Transport charge £1 single for a dog within their Zone 1 (the city boundary). No Day or period tickets available. Their website doesn't show any fares for dogs outside Zone 1.

 

[LowLevel]

Nottingham City Transport have a Dog Day Rover which is £1.
Trent Barton charge 80p.

 

[MadMarsupial]

High Peak buses have a 50p charge

5.3 Birds in cages, dogs, cats and other small animals carried in a passenger’s lap will be allowed to travel at the charge advertised locally, at the absolute discretion of the driver on safety grounds.

Derbyshire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester 50p single

All other areas FREE
.

 

[RJ]

Stagecoach South Wales have a fare for dogs.

 

[Russel]

Stagecoach South Wales have a fare for dogs.

It seems very inconsistent with Stagecoach.

Stagecoach Warwickshire have charged me a few times when I lived in the area, from memory it was around 50p but this was a few years back.

I've just had a few days in Lincolnshire, using a few Stagecoach services and wasn't charged anything for the dog on any route, including the Chapel St Leonards - Skegness open top routes.

 

[GusB]

I've only ever had to take a dog on the bus a few times. If I remember rightly, the first time it was something like quarter fare, but after that they didn't bother charging.

 

[londonbridge]

From memory, info posters on London buses used to say that dogs travel free, and are carried at the discretion of the driver or conductor. They are not allowed on seats and must be kept under control at all times. On double deck buses they normally travel upstairs but in some circumstances the driver or conductor may allow a small dog to be carried downstairs.

These rules seem to have gone out the window or are rarely enforced, as I’ve seen large dogs downstairs, sprawled out in the aisle and hindering movement of other passengers around the bus, and in some cases I’ve seen them on seats but the driver does nothing.

The thread linked in post #6 above mentions only one dog allowed per bus, but I don’t remember this ever being a rule or seeing it listed anywhere.

 

[DunsBus]

Lothian Buses played an April Fool yesterday by claiming to be introducing a Ridacard (bus and tram pass) for dogs.

Until the 1980s, this would have been plausible. When I had to start paying fares when I turned five in August 1988, a driver showed me his console and the button he had to press was labelled Child/Dog. He explained that this was because fares for dogs (other than guide dogs) had only recently been abolished and were at the same rate as kids' fares.

Someone posted a picture on Facebook of an actual Lothian bus pass issued to a dog back in the 1980s.

Does anyone know when precisely fares for dogs were abolished on Lothian Region Transport (as Lothian Buses were known prior to 2000)?

A quick search online leads me to believe that fares for dogs still exist in Manchester. Is this true? If so, can you buy a season ticket for a dog for use on Manchester buses?

I've an inkling that Lothian Region Transport (LRT) abolished dog fares at deregulation. The ticketing system in use on LRT in August 1988 was the Wayfarer II, introduced in spring 1985.

 

[gnolife]

A quick search online leads me to believe that fares for dogs still exist in Manchester. Is this true?

Yes - Stagecoach charge £1 for a day ticket, Go North West charge 50p for a single, and I don't know the prices for any others, or indeed if they charge at all

 

[RJ]

From memory, info posters on London buses used to say that dogs travel free, and are carried at the discretion of the driver or conductor. They are not allowed on seats and must be kept under control at all times. On double deck buses they normally travel upstairs but in some circumstances the driver or conductor may allow a small dog to be carried downstairs.

These rules seem to have gone out the window or are rarely enforced, as I’ve seen large dogs downstairs, sprawled out in the aisle and hindering movement of other passengers around the bus, and in some cases I’ve seen them on seats but the driver does nothing.

The thread linked in post #6 above mentions only one dog allowed per bus, but I don’t remember this ever being a rule or seeing it listed anywhere.

There should certainly be guidelines for owners. The service I drive officially doesn't permit dogs other than service dogs, but people are told it's down to the driver's discretion. In a two week period I let about 5 people with dogs (not assistance dogs) on. Three of those dogs urinated on the bus and the owners didn't clean it up and got off without saying anything.

Going forwards if I see it happen and the owner doesn't clean it up, the bus goes out of service at that point for cleaning. It's not really fair on other passengers for the bus to be soiled resulting in them having to wait 30-120 minutes for the next one which I guess is one reason why the policy is there.

 

[Geordie driver]

There should certainly be guidelines for owners. The service I drive officially doesn't permit dogs other than service dogs, but people are told it's down to the driver's discretion. In a two week period I let about 5 people with dogs (not assistance dogs) on. Three of those dogs urinated on the bus and the owners didn't clean it up and got off without saying anything.

Going forwards if I see it happen and the owner doesn't clean it up, the bus goes out of service at that point for cleaning. It's not really fair on other passengers for the bus to be soiled resulting in them having to wait 30-120 minutes for the next one which I guess is one reason why the policy is there.

I can see your point but it's impossible to know if a dog is going to urinate when it gets on.

I have never had a dog urinate on my bus but I've had many humans do so, and worse.

 

[RJ]

I can see your point but it's I possible to know if a dog is going to urinate when it gets on.

I have never had a dog urinate on my bus, had many humans do so, and worse.

There is a written policy in place for the carriage of dogs (other than assistance dogs) that is set by the higher powers - the only place to challenge that is with those who write the policy. If the driver waives it at their discretion then has to take the bus out of service as a result, it disrupts people on the bus and possibly on subsequent trips - and they'll get asked to explain why they didn't follow the policy.

There are general rules against soiling so you'd hope people would be responsible and make their own provision for accidents of this kind. The owners should really say something as soon as it happens. If I'm made aware of it, I carry all sorts to try and prevent taking the bus out of service - in the case of a urine incident, there's a box of disposable gloves, blue roll, bags to seal them up in and a power mop for any remaining residue. But people tend to keep quiet as they know there's a very high chance of the bus being taken out of service until a cleaner can get to it!

 

[kijeta]

Newport Transport charge £1 single for a dog within their Zone 1 (the city boundary). No Day or period tickets available. Their website doesn't show any fares for dogs outside Zone 1.

As someone living in zone 3, I can say that from experience, dogs are still charged £1 regardless of distance travelled.

This does remind me of a time on the 73 from Chepstow, some passenger tried convincing the driver that the pet they're holding is a cat instead. Luckily the driver shared the same sense of humour.