SPT Daytripper ticket to be withdrawn

[Starmill]

But then why doesn't SPT think about the offering of an all-modes off peak day ticket as something that is just a natural part of the offering of an integrated urban/suburban transport system? There are very few systems around the world that don't have a ticket of this kind - certainly all the UK PTEs and TfL do, as do all the German Verkehrsverbuende.

You'd think that if financial resources are badly stretched you could just try increasing the prices in the desperate hope that people will pay more. Perhaps that's what they think will happen anyway, but just that the additional friction of having to pay separately for bus and train tickets (still generally offered only on paper too) won't put people off. They're wrong of course but who knows.

 

[asb]

I used one of these last month (on my own) and was surprised it was the old fashioned scratch off type, but that in itself will have surpressed sales dramatically. Like with PlusBus, if your first trip needs to be on a bus, it's no good if the train station is the only place you can get it!
I agree that a revamp would have been better from a passenger perspective, but would have needed to be available on bus too. Wouldn't be surprised if ScotRail vetoed that, rather than the bus operators.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I used one of these last month (on my own) and was surprised it was the old fashioned scratch off type, but that in itself will have surpressed sales dramatically. Like with PlusBus, if your first trip needs to be on a bus, it's no good if the train station is the only place you can get it!
I agree that a revamp would have been better from a passenger perspective, but would have needed to be available on bus too. Wouldn't be surprised if ScotRail vetoed that, rather than the bus operators.

It's easily done, and in most (not quite all) of the other areas that have this sort of ticket they are just sold on whatever ticketing facility the operator you first board has.

 

[JonathanH]

It's easily done, and in most (not quite all) of the other areas that have this sort of ticket they are just sold on whatever ticketing facility the operator you first board has.

Waving around bus tickets on a train is almost as bad as trying to use railway issued tickets on a bus. It does seem that buses are starting to include barcodes on a ticket and perhaps that is the way this sort of ticket might work in the future.

 

[Starmill]

Waving around bus tickets on a train is almost as bad as trying to use railway issued tickets on a bus.

Good or bad it has been the norm in many areas for years and years.

It does seem that buses are starting to include barcodes on a ticket and perhaps that is the way this sort of ticket might work in the future.

Ticketer machines are QR code based aren't they? They won't be compatible with Aztec infrastructure.

 

[Mancman]

As someone who has made use of the Daytripper ticket on a number of occasions, I consider its withdrawal to be a retrograde step. I suspect that, like me, most people made use of it for optional leisure journeys which otherwise they would not make. Generally such passengers are filling empy seats and the £13 cost of the ticket makes a contribution towards the rail and bus network - so it’s not clear that the question of subsidy arises. A flawed decision, in my view.

 

[Starmill]

so it’s not clear that the question of subsidy arises

I think that fundamentally it doesn't, but the view that's taken is that the same people will pay more for individual tickets if they still need to travel, and for anyone who doesn't "need" to travel, the Scottish Government isn't interested in them using public transport and would be happy for them to just go away.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Ticketer machines are QR code based aren't they? They won't be compatible with Aztec infrastructure.

Given that most e-ticket verification is done using an Android mobile phone that doesn't strike me as a horribly difficult software issue.

It's also a non-issue anyway because this is already the approach used in a number of other UK cities, e.g. Greater Manchester. I love the way people on this Forum often like to say something is impossible when it is actually being done now.

 

[Starmill]

Indeed it has been the norm to use bus or tramway issued tickets on national rail services literally all over the place for decades. In addition to the long standing example of Greater Manchester there's Nottingham, South Yorkshire, Cornwall and Bristol.

Some are even issued as single return and season. For example, if you board a bus at Meltham you can buy a 'First Bus & Rail' Off Peak Day Return to Leeds for £7, or £30.50 a week valid on the 308/310/314/316/324 and TransPennine Express.

All Tyne & Wear Metro tickets are available on national rail between Sunderland and Newcastle.

There are more.

 

[JonathanH]

Nottingham,

Yes, Nottingham where since the tram and bus went over to a contactless solution, what was the 'Kangaroo' ticket and then something named after Robin Hood no longer includes the railway.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes, Nottingham where since the tram and bus went over to a contactless solution, what was the 'Kangaroo' ticket and then something named after Robin Hood no longer includes the railway.

Nottingham isn't a PTE, though, so isn't quite comparable with the SPT area. It was a voluntary scheme organised by the operators.

 

[cnjb8]

Nottingham isn't a PTE, though, so isn't quite comparable with the SPT area. It was a voluntary scheme organised by the operators.

Yes, we are blessed with some good operators and an absence of First in their bad years

 

[PaxVobiscum]

It would appear that the SPT Daytripper ticket is no longer considered up to scratch: https://www.spt.co.uk/tickets/day-tickets/daytripper/.
Apologies if another thread exists mentioning this.

Please note the Daytripper ticket is being withdrawn from the end of 2021. The last day of Daytripper sales will be Friday 29 October 2021 and the last day Daytripper tickets can be used for travel will be Friday 31 December 2021. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions for more details.

Not surprising perhaps but a shame, particularly for Forum events participants travelling up to the Glasgow area.

 

[route101]

I have used the daytripper a few times over the years. It was marketed as a family ticket, but I only used it for myself. The ticket is stuck in the year 1990. The roundabout ticket remains, but that covers train services only in a smaller area.

Hopefully see a SPT area day ticket.

 

[AY1975]

I used one of these last month (on my own) and was surprised it was the old fashioned scratch off type.

Possibly one of only a few remaining such tickets in the country that are still issued as scratchcards. I've started a separate thread on tickets still issued in this format at https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/trivia-tickets-that-are-still-issued-as-scratchcards.223501/

 

[Kite159]

More for information as it might affect people who had planned to visit Glasgow in the new year, but the scratch-card SPT Daytripper tickets (SPT - Strathclyde Partnership for Transport) are being withdrawn for sale from tomorrow (29th October) with the last date of validity being the end of the year.

Please note the Daytripper ticket is being withdrawn from the end of 2021. The last day of Daytripper sales will be Friday 29 October 2021 and the last day Daytripper tickets can be used for travel will be Friday 31 December 2021. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions for more details

The Daytripper ticket gives you unlimited* travel for one day by ScotRail, Subway, most buses**, and some ferries in the Strathclyde region.

Daytripper | SPT | Strathclyde Partnership for Transport

The Daytripper ticket gives you unlimited* travel for one day by ScotRail, Subway, most buses**, and some ferries in the Strathclyde region. Find out more about the Daytripper ticket here.

www.spt.co.uk

Sadly there seems to be no replacement for the good value ranger ticket which did cover a lot of the area around Glasgow (Invercylde, Ayrshire, Dumartonshire etc), the smaller area Roundabout ticket remains on sale but that's for rail & subway only (whereas the Daytripper was valid on some bus companies).

 

[JonathanH]

More for information as it might affect people who had planned to visit Glasgow in the new year, but the scratch-card SPT Daytripper tickets (SPT - Strathclyde Partnership for Transport) are being withdrawn for sale from tomorrow (29th October) with the last date of validity being the end of the year.

Daytripper | SPT | Strathclyde Partnership for Transport

The Daytripper ticket gives you unlimited* travel for one day by ScotRail, Subway, most buses**, and some ferries in the Strathclyde region. Find out more about the Daytripper ticket here.

www.spt.co.uk

Sadly there seems to be no replacement for the good value ranger ticket which did cover a lot of the area around Glasgow (Invercylde, Ayrshire, Dumartonshire etc), the smaller area Roundabout ticket remains on sale but that's for rail & subway only (whereas the Daytripper was valid on some bus companies).

Indeed, worthwhile bringing back to attention that tomorrow is the last day to purchase a Daytripper.

 

[Kite159]

Hopefully SPT will issue a larger area ticket as a sort-of replacement for the scratchcard in the new year, based on normal rail/bus tickets (or even available on a mobile), even if does cost more than the older Scratch card.

[Unless Scotrail randomly decide to extend the coverage area of the Central Scotland Rover to cover roughly the area the Daytripper covered to provide a "hop-on/hop-off" solution to people wanting to visit various parts for scenery [Ayrshire coast etc]

 

[Stan Drews]

Hopefully SPT will issue a larger area ticket as a sort-of replacement for the scratchcard in the new year, based on normal rail/bus tickets (or even available on a mobile), even if does cost more than the older Scratch card.

[Unless Scotrail randomly decide to extend the coverage area of the Central Scotland Rover to cover roughly the area the Daytripper covered to provide a "hop-on/hop-off" solution to people wanting to visit various parts for scenery [Ayrshire coast etc]

As mentioned up thread, I understand SPT are looking at revamping the Zonecard, to bring it into the 21st Century, and hopefully this will include day variants.

 

[MattA7]

Just discovered today that the day tripper has been abolished when I went to order more off the SPT website. As someone who has to travel frequently from Girvan to Glasgow (and then within Glasgow) the day tripper cost £13 (as opposed to £21 for a Girvan to Glasgow ticket then £3 for a subway ticket) now that this has been abolished it’s going to cause serious financial problems.

zonecard only covers up to Ayr so not much help there.

 

[Francis]

SPT should also have taken into account the tourist trade which the Daytripper brought to Glasgow. Numerous times I have travelled up from Preston (to the benefit of TPE or Avanti Scottish services), either on a day trip or staying overnight in a Glasgow hotel, and then had a day out using the Daytripper ticket, spending money in Ayr or Ardrossan or Helensburgh or Motherwell (!), even - paying the extra - to Tarbert, Dunoon and Brodick. It also enabled me to cover almost all the passenger lines in the Glasgow area. I'm very sorry to see it go. The scratch card may have been old technology but no station barrier staff or bus conductors had any difficulty recognizing it. Nor did the Clyde ferries. A great shame it has gone.

 

[miklcct]

But then why doesn't SPT think about the offering of an all-modes off peak day ticket as something that is just a natural part of the offering of an integrated urban/suburban transport system? There are very few systems around the world that don't have a ticket of this kind - certainly all the UK PTEs and TfL do, as do all the German Verkehrsverbuende.

Sorry but most places I have been to in the world don't distinguish between peak and off peak hours. The fare is normally the same anytime of the day.