-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Is Now The Time To Relaunch Plusbus
- Thread starter Llandudno
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
That’s a step in the right direction at least, when, and if it materialises is another matter...?
py_megapixel
Established Member
I think Northern's TVMs already offer PlusBus, or at least did in the past. Obviously because they're Flowbird machines the UI is implemented poorly, but I'm not sure I need to rant about that any further.
martinsh
Established Member
Avanti's TVMs definitely offer Plusbus - but only as an add-on when booking a rail ticket.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
It's only supposed to be sold that way (or as an addition to a ticket you have already, but a TVM can't verify that).
markymark2000
On Moderation
And while PlusBus may be a separate transaction behind the scenes, the actual user purchases it at the same time as a normal ticket so transport - train station. Train journey and then bus from train station to end destination. All bought in a single transaction. It's different tickets which may get confusing but generally, it's not separate transactions.
Marketing a products is as with everything, it's a huge risk. Don't market it and it dies off with few people knowing about it or promote it and people will remember it. I've been on a number of journeys in the 12 months leading up to Covid where I could have bought a Plusbus ticket but due to me forgetting it exists, I haven't got one.
Properly marketed I would say more posters in train stations near entrances as well as working with the TOCs for some social media advertisement. Simply expecting people to know the scheme and add it on isn't really doing anything.
Will check if this is the case on Avanti TVM next week. I remember asking for a return from Glasgow to Edinburgh and plus bus. The ticket clerk was like ' you need a ticket before I can issue a plusbus' I was like ' I'm buying the ticket'.
Ideally plusbus tickets would be issued in some way that can be automatically checked by ticket machines. That alleviates the need to check them.
I used to have regular arguments about Plusbus in Hitchin 15 years ago with Sovereign drivers (often the same one). Arriva usually accepted it without question but that required a change to get from my house to the station. I lived there for 3 years but only bothered with Plusbus for the first one. I've had a lot of arguments with drivers about the validity of a rail ticket on their bus, especially if not travelling to or from the station at that point (though many Plusbus tickets cost more than a single) - I could see that putting a lot of people off. Nottingham drivers either seem very clued up or don't pay any attention to what's being shown to them. I have had to explain the validity of West Yorkshire Plusbus tickets which don't make it clear they're valid throughout the county.
A couple of years ago I stayed a week near High Wycombe and made the mistake of buying an Explorer weekly ticket from Carousel. I was refused travel by 5 different Arriva drivers who were backed up by management at High Wycombe bus station though validity was confirmed by their website and their Twitter team - but by then I was on a later bus each time. If only the machine could have made the decision/
Even with that there can be problems - only yesterday a bus ticket machine said my ticket was invalid as the bus thought it was 500m further down the road.
I used to have regular arguments about Plusbus in Hitchin 15 years ago with Sovereign drivers (often the same one). Arriva usually accepted it without question but that required a change to get from my house to the station. I lived there for 3 years but only bothered with Plusbus for the first one. I've had a lot of arguments with drivers about the validity of a rail ticket on their bus, especially if not travelling to or from the station at that point (though many Plusbus tickets cost more than a single) - I could see that putting a lot of people off. Nottingham drivers either seem very clued up or don't pay any attention to what's being shown to them. I have had to explain the validity of West Yorkshire Plusbus tickets which don't make it clear they're valid throughout the county.
A couple of years ago I stayed a week near High Wycombe and made the mistake of buying an Explorer weekly ticket from Carousel. I was refused travel by 5 different Arriva drivers who were backed up by management at High Wycombe bus station though validity was confirmed by their website and their Twitter team - but by then I was on a later bus each time. If only the machine could have made the decision/
Even with that there can be problems - only yesterday a bus ticket machine said my ticket was invalid as the bus thought it was 500m further down the road.
_toommm_
Established Member
I’ve often had the issue where my PlusBus has been discounted by my YP Railcard. Bus drivers have looked at the price and told me it’s cheaper than a single so it’s not valid.
Then there’s the age old adage when they ask why it’s so cheap and I reply that I’ve got a railcard: ‘But this is a bus…’. I’ve genuinely had this facetious reply so many times by bus drivers.
Then there’s the age old adage when they ask why it’s so cheap and I reply that I’ve got a railcard: ‘But this is a bus…’. I’ve genuinely had this facetious reply so many times by bus drivers.
Had similar last year on Lothian. ' no that's a rail ticket and this a bus' Lothian usually have no problems.
- Status