Plusbus - knowledge of bus driver?

[Pemberton]

I've used Plusbus on many trips in the last couple of years, Bristol, Sheffield, Nottingham, Bournemouth and so on.

Last night in Swindon, when showing my ticket on a legitimate Stagecoach bus within the valid area, the driver greeted me with "that's a train ticket, you can't use it on here".

Fortunately I had a couple of screenshots ready on my phone for what I'm finding is a common scenario and after a short explanation he let me on. I did spend a little time at the end of my bus journey talking to the driver about Plusbus and he apologised for his initial reaction.

It just occurred to me how hit and miss it's been on my various trips as to whether a bus driver knows about these tickets and what can be done to educate them more. I suppose it comes down to their Supervisors making them aware?

I found last night's incident a little embarrassing with other passengers watching and wondered if other members had found they often have to explain what a Plusbus is to a bus driver?

 

[SargeNpton]

I guess that when these schemes were first introduced there were training sessions across each bus company. But with staff turnover, it's possible that mention of PlusBus may be overlooked for new drivers on occasions.

 

[L401CJF]

To give a little insight I drove buses for 7 years. 2 at Stagecoach, 5 at Arriva.

At Stagecoach we were told to accept plusbus during our training. There was a button on the machine pass menu to record plusbus use. The buses even had Plusbus valid stickers in the windows.

We were told the same at Arriva, and some of our buses had Plusbus valid stickers on the cab door.

The training departments at both operators had some specimen tickets of each pass to show us - except plusbus. I distinctly remember being told both times you never see them, but if you do, it says plusbus on it and is valid.

In my 7 years, I didn't see one once.

In some places poor training is probably one cause, but in others (like my region), its probably a case of drivers see them so infrequently (or never in my case) that they forget they exist.

 

[RJ]

Most of the time I've found it's fine.

Once I tried to use one on the Kinchbus Sprint service from Loughborough University. The driver was one I didn't recognise (I used the service 10+ times a week for 3 years) and she refused to accept it, claiming that the company was doing away with accepting those tickets. As I had to get to the station, I paid cash. I tried to claim it back from Kinchbus later and never heard back, which was disappointing for a company that really goes large on how great their customer service is. That was the only ever time there was an issue, the rest of the time it was perfectly fine. A Plusbus ticket with railcard discount was about the price of a single back then.

As a bus driver on the 607 in London, there was something strange going on as a number of passengers were getting on and showing Slough PlusBus tickets. I refused to accept them which people didn't like because other drivers let them travel. Those tickets aren't valid on any TfL bus services, not even the one that serves Slough - and the area of validity doesn't extend to anywhere near where the 607 runs. It was their unlucky day when I was driving.

 

[Haywain]

As well as the fact that PlusBus tickets are seen very rarely, account should also be taken of the turnover of bus drivers and the ongoing national driver shortage which probably reduces opportunities for training.

 

[CyrusWuff]

As an aside, the one time I had issues with PlusBus acceptance in Leeds, I dropped Journey Solutions (the umbrella body responsible for PlusBus) an email rather than the individual operator and they gave me a refund for the full price of the PlusBus ticket rather than just the Single I'd had to buy.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Personally, I've never had an issue with using PlusBus tickets - although the last time I used one was a good few years ago now.

I do, however, occasionally have trouble using London Travelcards on TfL buses, which results in being greeted with the same line of "That's a train ticket". There's never any need to explain though, because as soon as you open your mouth they usually just wave you on anyway.

 

[Haywain]

I do, however, occasionally have trouble using London Travelcards on TfL buses, which results in being greeted with the same line of "That's a train ticket".

I would think that bus drivers on TfL services see far more Travelcards than bus drivers in the rest of the country will see PlusBus tickets.

 

[Starmill]

Most bus companies will indicate that if there's an element of doubt about the validity of the ticket, the bus driver is required to accept the ticket.

This should remove the issue with training not being allocated sufficient time. Indeed it's often why the bus company wants to press this message home, so they can minimise giving proper training.

Therefore, if the Plusbus ticket is within the area and isn't on one of the excluded services on the Plusbus website, such as the TfL routes mentioned by RJ, or some airport services, then a driver refusing it is probably not complying with company policy.

 

[Haywain]

Therefore, if the Plusbus ticket is within the area and isn't on one of the excluded services on the Plusbus website, such as the TfL routes mentioned by RJ, or some airport services, then a driver refusing it is probably not complying with company policy.

That won't help you in getting past the driver though.

 

[Starmill]

That won't help you in getting past the driver though.

It sure won't. As I know from personal experience in Cardiff when I was staying at the Zip by Premier Inn hotel, which is within the Plusbus area but only just.

 

[themeone]

I've only used them in Southampton and never had a problem with acceptance, though I often get the impression the drivers don't see them very often.

 

[pdeaves]

I have used Plusbus a few times. Usually, there is a little trepidation before making a journey, especially with 'minor' operators, but I have only ever had one problem and that was many years ago. In a particular area, the only bus operator in the area (an independent one) refused to take three of us from town A to town B. The driver was adamant that yes, this is the valid area, but not with this company. As there was no other company and thus no other way to get to where we were going, we had to pay additional fares. If I remember correctly we tried to follow up but got no response from whoever it was we contacted.

 

[185143]

It sure won't. As I know from personal experience in Cardiff when I was staying at the Zip by Premier Inn hotel, which is within the Plusbus area but only just.

Surprised by that really. I've used the South Wales Flexipass to get there quite a few times, had a few drivers ask what it is, but never been refused. That said I usually get on with the TfW website ready and have shown it when it's been questioned.

Had a driver on Arriva in Chester question the North Wales version, then told me he'd heard of it but never actually seen one. Then we had a chat about where you could go with it as it looked like a good ticket!

Never had a Plusbus refused, though been told "that's a train ticket" a couple of times.

 

[Starmill]

Surprised by that really. I've used the South Wales Flexipass to get there quite a few times, had a few drivers ask what it is, but never been refused. That said I usually get on with the TfW website ready and have shown it when it's been questioned.

Had a driver on Arriva in Chester question the North Wales version, then told me he'd heard of it but never actually seen one. Then we had a chat about where you could go with it as it looked like a good ticket!

Never had a Plusbus refused, though been told "that's a train ticket" a couple of times.

When I stayed at that hotel, Cardiff Bus were absolutely fine with Plusbus, but I was refused by Stagecoach.

 

[route101]

Only really used them in Edinburgh. Had no bother until the last time I tried to use when the driver refused.

 

[185143]

When I stayed at that hotel, Cardiff Bus were absolutely fine with Plusbus, but I was refused by Stagecoach.

Ahh, I've only used Cardiff Bus AFAIK.

Used the rover on a few Stagecoach buses in the Valleys and had a couple of them question it, but gladly accepted the explanation.

 

[trover]

In Preston Stagecoach drivers often claim that the ticket is only valid with Preston Bus (a local brand of Rotala), the ticket printed as ‘Between Preston (Lancs) and Preston + Bus’ may be confusing for them.

 

[danm14]

Only really used them in Edinburgh. Had no bother until the last time I tried to use when the driver refused.

I had a Lothian Buses driver take a PlusBus ticket from me, only to grip it with both hands and stare at it for about three minutes without saying anything (you'd honestly think I'd just boarded the bus with a handgun and handed him a piece of paper saying "give me the takings and I won't shoot you"), then handed it back saying "yes, that's fine" in a pleasant tone of voice. Up there with the most peculiar interactions I've ever had with a bus driver.

 

[rg177]

Had a very sarcastic "that's a bus ticket" off a Supertram conductor once. It took a fair bit of back and forth before he relented.

A First Halifax driver also told me my ticket was "too cheap" (was during July, when a Railcard discounted PlusBus was £2) and I asked her what she thought that had to do with anything. Again, eventually accepted...

 

[David57]

When I worked for Stagecoach in Northampton we were told about Plusbus tickets in ticket machine training, and told ' I doubt that you will ever see one'.
I clearly knew what they were, indeed a chap got on with a plusbus season, and I asked him if I could have a good look at the ticket, he thought I was going to refuse travel, but I responded by saying 'can I take a photo of it, as we really don't see many on here'
A couple of Drivers asked me about it, in messroom banter, so I was able to show them that it was perfectly valid.
As has been pointed out, the high turnover from the Driving school didn't help, and the high amount of information thrown at new Drivers means that it's a lot to take in.

 

[TUC]

As a bus driver on the 607 in London, there was something strange going on as a number of passengers were getting on and showing Slough PlusBus tickets. I refused to accept them which people didn't like because other drivers let them travel. Those tickets aren't valid on any TfL bus services, not even the one that serves Slough - and the area of validity doesn't extend to anywhere near where the 607 runs. It was their unlucky day when I was driving.

An example of how TfL, with its multiplicity of ticketing arrangements within London, can be very inflexible and unhelpful in supporting such arrangements elsewhere.

 

[W-on-Sea]

I've used them quite often, in various parts of England, so far without any problems. Sometimes drivers look at them a bit quizzically, but I've not had them rejected. (I tend to have the relevant info saved to my phone just in case)

 

[Class800]

Rarely used them, but don't remember any issues

 

[danm14]

An example of how TfL, with its multiplicity of ticketing arrangements within London, can be very inflexible and unhelpful in supporting such arrangements elsewhere.

I'm not sure how unreasonable it is that a Slough PlusBus ticket is invalid on a London Bus between Uxbridge and White City, the closest point of which to the outer extremity of the Slough PlusBus validity area is about four miles as the crow flies. I think it's clear that there was some form of intentional fare evasion going on.

 

[AlbertBeale]

My commonest use of a PlusBus ticket is in the Brighton area - there's occasionally a long hard look at the ticket by the driver first of all, but almost always they accept it with no trouble.

Once, within the area but picking up an (incoming) long-distance bus, the driver said that that company's buses weren't covered by the scheme (or at least their long-distance routes weren't). I thought he was wrong, but given there were other buses around I didn't press the point.

And once a ticket inspector told me I was outside the area covered (admittedly it's a bit confusing, since the last stop inside the zone in one direction is a long way from the broad-brush zone boundary on the published map). But the inspector was actually mixing up different sorts of zones - the Brighton and Hove (and nearby) conurbation has some city zone and wider zonal fares with different boundaries, and even the furthest of these boundaries itself stops a little way before the last PlusBus validity in the direction I was going. But the inspector insisted on the need for an extra ticket (which cost almost as much as the PlusBus for the whole day). Subsequent exchanges with the bus company eventually resulted in a credit for use on a future trip.

 

[Egg Centric]

Had absolutely no idea they were uncommon, I actually thought they would be pretty popular. I use them once every couple of years and never had a problem.

I appreciate the last two sentences are somewhat incongruous but I'm not the market plusbus is aimed at as I really don't like buses.

 

[Pit_buzzer]

I first gave plusbus a try 3 weeks ago having been aware of it but never gone into much detail. It far exceeds my expectations and i have become a regular user.
Having now made dozens of journies I have only had 3 drivers who didn't know what it was, the first one, a stagecoach driver took a photo of the ticket and said they would read up on it later, the 2nd one, also a stagecoach driver accepted my brief explanation of it and the 3rd one, a first driver questioned it and I had to show him screen shots of the plusbus page and zone map to which he replied that's good enough for me.
Definitely got the impression that the drivers didn't see them often but the ones that queried it seemed happy to have learned something

 

[Haywain]

Definitely got the impression that the drivers didn't see them often but the ones that queried it seemed happy to have learned something

A few years ago I saw national sales figures for PlusBus over a year and even the most popular schemes sold only a few hundred. That’s really not enough for every driver to see them regularly so the lack of knowledge is really no surprise. Having said that, I really hope numbers have improved over time as I find it a really useful product.

 

[Egg Centric]

A few years ago I saw national sales figures for PlusBus over a year and even the most popular schemes sold only a few hundred. That’s really not enough for every driver to see them regularly so the lack of knowledge is really no surprise. Having said that, I really hope numbers have improved over time as I find it a really useful product.

That's a couple of orders of magnitude less than I would have expected.

Kinda explains why once when I reported some issue with their website late at night the CEO themselves fixed it within an hour or two, which I found very surprising at the time.