large-ish operators who don't electronically read ITSO cards

[34D]

Hello,

Round here in west yorkshire, most operators have smartcard readers (including a lot of smaller independents). The main omission is Centrebus WY who are still on wayfarer 3.

Are there any other decent sized operations around the country who don't yet read smartcards? I'm assuming that First Arriva etc have fully converted to Almex and wayfarer tgx respectively?

 

[Polarbear]

First in Chester & the Wirral don't have ticket machines that can read ITSO cards. Very little investment generally in the operation over the past few years.

Luckily, there appears to be an agreement within Merseyside that tickets are no longer issued to concessionary card holders, but any journeys that involve Cheshire still require tickets to be issued.

 

[IanXC]

First in York seem to be operating 2 separate systems - their main service bus operations would appear to accept smart cards, but Park and Ride card readers do not accept concession cards and when a service vehicle deputises on a Park and Ride diagram the drivers are insistent that you "must not" present your park and ride season/stored value card on their reader!

Anyone know whats going on?

 

[transmanche]

TfL buses don't seem to be able to read ITSO cards (such as ENCT cards) yet.

 

[34D]

First in Chester & the Wirral don't have ticket machines that can read ITSO cards. Very little investment generally in the operation over the past few years.

Luckily, there appears to be an agreement within Merseyside that tickets are no longer issued to concessionary card holders, but any journeys that involve Cheshire still require tickets to be issued.

This is surprising. I thought the Almex Ultima had become national now.

At a guess, possibly Merseyside PTE reimburse ENCTS on the basis of their periodic surveys (as Metro WYPTE do)?

First in York seem to be operating 2 separate systems - their main service bus operations would appear to accept smart cards, but Park and Ride card readers do not accept concession cards and when a service vehicle deputises on a Park and Ride diagram the drivers are insistent that you "must not" present your park and ride season/stored value card on their reader!

Anyone know whats going on?

The park and ride services (and also First Bradford) trialled an early smartcard around 10 years ago; I presume this is non-ITSO.

The normal routes in york have recently converted to Ultima as per the rest of First WY (which York is a part of).

Can the P&R buses read ENCTS? I guess probably not?

 

[IanXC]

The park and ride services (and also First Bradford) trialled an early smartcard around 10 years ago; I presume this is non-ITSO.

The normal routes in york have recently converted to Ultima as per the rest of First WY (which York is a part of).

Can the P&R buses read ENCTS?

Ah that makes sense. If they can they don't - passengers are only required to show their ENCTS - I haven't seen the same kind of panic of you *must not* present your card. The impression I get is that the P&R smart card will crash the Ultima readers!

 

[34D]

Ah that makes sense. If they can they don't - passengers are only required to show their ENCTS - I haven't seen the same kind of panic of you *must not* present your card. The impression I get is that the P&R smart card will crash the Ultima readers!

Try it. Hobble on so they think you're a ENCTS-D holder and touch that P&R card on Almex' finest machine!!!

 

[MCR247]

I don't think Trent Barton do

 

[34D]

I don't think Trent Barton do

They got mango!! But is it across all routes? I think mango is itso so surely they read biddy passes?

 

[MCR247]

Yes they have Mango over all routes except Pronto I believe but they can't read OAP passes and they have to show it to the driver who prints off a ticket (or if the driver is at a major stop with a load of them, as people are getting off he'll print some in advance!). Although that said new ticket machines are on they way which can read both

 

[tbone]

Yes they have Mango over all routes except Pronto I believe but they can't read OAP passes and they have to show it to the driver who prints off a ticket (or if the driver is at a major stop with a load of them, as people are getting off he'll print some in advance!). Although that said new ticket machines are on they way which can read both

Yeah that is the case, all routes except pronto accept Mango, but all routes have the init machines with card readers. I believe that they don't however have the software to read over60s passes. As MCR247 says, new machines are on the way, and these should have the capability to read them.

 

[trentside]

Yeah that is the case, all routes except pronto accept Mango, but all routes have the init machines with card readers. I believe that they don't however have the software to read over60s passes. As MCR247 says, new machines are on the way, and these should have the capability to read them.

A genius move from the "really good bus company" to buy a product that was not used by any other operator (that I'm aware of) in the UK and with no ability to read concessionary passes. The fact they were purchased after the move to ITSO cards makes it even more of a joke. I'm usually a defender of TrentBarton and think they provide a good service, but this was a huge blunder!

 

[MCR247]

As was buying optare tempo SRs but thats off topic :P

Oh and btw to TB and NCT use the same machines?

 

[trentside]

Oh and btw to TB and NCT use the same machines?

NCT use Almex Optima machines - I believe they are still using their original smartcard readers from the Almex A90 machines. These machines are used by quite a number of operators, including large swathes of First Group.

 

[MCR247]

Yeah they still use the original smartcard readers. Although these were supposed to be gone by Autumn 2011...!

I didn't think they used the same machines but thought NCT might use init machines to go with their init screens and displays for real-time

 

[34D]

A genius move from the "really good bus company" to buy a product that was not used by any other operator (that I'm aware of) in the UK and with no ability to read concessionary passes. The fact they were purchased after the move to ITSO cards makes it even more of a joke. I'm usually a defender of TrentBarton and think they provide a good service, but this was a huge blunder!

I wonder whether mango uses the same technology as the First York P&R?

 

[causton]

Wait, Init?

Uno use that. And they read ENCTS passes...

...picture coming up of the ticket machine, how similar is it to yours?

(edit before pic: Herts County Council I think are asking other operators to use these ticket machines, as Centrebus and Metroline are getting them )

 

[MCR247]

The software doesn't look the same and neither does the card reader :?

The best I can find right now is this http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IcUNQ9m2rzo/TdwF3FYXZ5I/AAAAAAAAAE0/5D5GVAgAvaM/s1600/IMG20110514_030.jpg

Or even better http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelmeyerstein/6531287899/

Ooh and there are the mango touch out screens http://www.initag.com/gfx_content/products/Ticketing4_large.jpg

 

[34D]

The software doesn't look the same and neither does the card reader :?

The best I can find right now is this http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IcUNQ9m2rzo/TdwF3FYXZ5I/AAAAAAAAAE0/5D5GVAgAvaM/s1600/IMG20110514_030.jpg

Or even better http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelmeyerstein/6531287899/

Ooh and there are the mango touch out screens http://www.initag.com/gfx_content/products/Ticketing4_large.jpg

A bizarre location for touch-out screens. I would perceive that a lot of people forget to touch-out.

 

[causton]

The software doesn't look the same and neither does the card reader :?

The best I can find right now is this http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IcUNQ9m2rzo/TdwF3FYXZ5I/AAAAAAAAAE0/5D5GVAgAvaM/s1600/IMG20110514_030.jpg

Or even better http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelmeyerstein/6531287899/

Ooh and there are the mango touch out screens http://www.initag.com/gfx_content/products/Ticketing4_large.jpg

Fair enough They look rather ancient compared to the new touch screen wizardry of the ones we have here now! They're not too bad

You can see just on the top the flat surface which is the reader for the ITSO (I presume?) and ENCTS cards (which, because it's flat, people sometimes put their card on it and let go... I guess they're not quite used to it) and coming off it, what looks like a barcode reader for e-tickets (not in use AFAIK!)

 

[Skimble19]

None of those look like the one I saw on the Arriva Stevenage bus this morning! Although they were getting pensioners to touch their cards on the readers, so they must be active. The ticket printed for someone who actually bought a ticket (not on their iPhone or whatnot) was also more like a receipt than a standard bus ticket!

 

[MCR247]

A bizarre location for touch-out screens. I would perceive that a lot of people forget to touch-out.

Oh yeah sorry that isn't actually a Mango touch out screen on a Trent Barton bus, I should have been more clear that I was just saying that that is the model used

You can see where they actually are in the top link
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Fair enough They look rather ancient compared to the new touch screen wizardry of the ones we have here now! They're not too bad

Ours are touchscreen, never seen the buttons have any use in their life :?