There have been a few questions regarding this matter recently including an entry in the Stagecoach in Devon section in Wekipedia. So here is a company spokesman, Mark Wittle, giving his view.
From Herald Express 6 June 2007
IT'S ALL FARE IN BUS TICKET POSER
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11:00 - 06 June 2007
Lenys Robinson and other pensioners who have contacted this column over their Stagecoach fares can relax.Torbay Council is not paying the company more than it should for their concessionary journeys.
The Paignton reader discovered on occasions that she was given a ticket for a destination further than her own stop."People travelling free usually don't look at their tickets," she said."I glanced at mine when going from Paignton bus station to Tanners End but found it said Bank Lane in Brixham. I mentioned this to the woman sitting next to me who was going to Brixham but had a ticket for further than her destination. "The widow and others feared the council was charged for the length of each trip which would add to its expenses and put up their council tax.
However the company's Mark Whittle stressed this was not so."We're paid a set amount regardless of the distances involved, so what is shown on the ticket is irrelevant," he said. "Drivers however are well aware they should only give the correct ticket. Not following this rule is automatically a disciplinary issue."Both Stagecoach and the council monitor all routes independently to provide a safeguard and these checks are frequent. Anybody being given an incorrect ticket should tell the driver immediately and get the mistake rectified."
3 comments:
As if they care anyway... They aint paying!
Plently of pensioners abuse the free system now, sometimes travelling ONE stop or fare stage further. The various CONS buttons on our wayfarer are so worn down its unbelievable - plently more than the ISSUE button.
As for the amount the councils give to the bus companies, im sure it is worked out an average trip cost and then multiplied by the amount of passes issued.
Most schemes pay out as Arriva Driver suggests - but certainly during 2006-2007, quite aside from underfunding the concessionary schemes, a number of councils "capped" them as well, meaning that above a certain number of OAP journeys the "pot" didn't get bigger and each additional pensioner travelling simply meant the price per head for all the rest was reduced.
It is little wonder that hard-pressed companies have appealled (and in nearly all cases won) against these particular schemes...it now remains to be seen whether (and how) the councils concerned will actually pay up what they owe without further legal action.
Does Mr Whittle realise that you cannot rectify a pensioners ticket? So the outcome would be issuing another ticket & the council having to pay for BOTH tickets that have been issued???
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