Minimum Fare Instructions - Cubic Fastis

[323235]

Hi, Is there anyone that give me a step by step guide of how to apply the minimum fare rule when issuing a ticket with the Cubic Fastis set up used by Northern Rail ticket offices?

 

[barrykas]

Hi, Is there anyone that give me a step by step guide of how to apply the minimum fare rule when issuing a ticket with the Cubic Fastis set up used by Northern Rail ticket offices?

You don't have to apply it by hand, FasTIS will automatically do so if the journey requires it.

If you do want to force it to apply a discount (e.g. issuing a Y-P ticket in advance):

1) Switch to Advance mode.
2) Set up a journey for a date and time where a minimum fare applies.
3) Press ISSUE and the resulting list of fares will incorporate the minimum fare where appropriate, or ignore the Railcard if the undiscounted fare would be cheaper.

Cheers,

Barry

 

[yorkie]

The issue is that some Northern staff are refusing to issue a ticket costing £12. Instead they claim the ticket would cost less than £12 and therefore it cannot be discounted!

e.g. Original ticket £15.00 Discounted ticket £9.95 they will say "This is less than £12 so you must buy the non-discounted ticket"

 

[323235]

yes that is the problem Yorkie.
Thanks Barry, that has answered a question mark I had
Seems to be the case that the staff at my station just don't want to issue tickets at minimum fare rather than then not pushing the correct buttons.

 

[penaltyfines]

yes that is the problem Yorkie.
Thanks Barry, that has answered a question mark I had
Seems to be the case that the staff at my station just don't want to issue tickets at minimum fare rather than then not pushing the correct buttons.

In cases of staff incompetence, buy ticket from the ticket machine, or board without a ticket. Rinse and repeat if necessary

 

[hairyhandedfool]

As Barry says, Fastis automatically adds the minimum fare to the machine, if the staff are not selling the ticket at the minimum fare, you should write to Northern to complain that you are not being offered the cheapest fare for your journey, naming the clerk and station where possible.

 

[323235]

I have done twice before but I don't think anything has been done although and I'm sick of having to go through Customer Relations as it takes ages when they first send me letters saying they don't have the tickets,then they don't send me all the vouchers listed in the letter. I've not had cause to buy a ticket which would be subject to the £12 minimum fare recently before 10am, as I try to avoid travelling before that time due to the increased price for shorter journeys.

 

[WelshBluebird]

In cases of staff incompetence, buy ticket from the ticket machine, or board without a ticket. Rinse and repeat if necessary

Is it actually possible to buy "minimum fare" tickets from the machines?
Certainly didn't seem so at Bristol Temple Meads. Or would this just becaue its a different system in use?

 

[First class]

Is it actually possible to buy "minimum fare" tickets from the machines?
Certainly didn't seem so at Bristol Temple Meads. Or would this just becaue its a different system in use?

Several people have been to the TVM at Liverpool Central with a YP railcard in the past for a journey to Southport before 10am and complained that it was costing £12... why put the money in then?!

 

[yorkie]

Several people have been to the TVM at Liverpool Central with a YP railcard in the past for a journey to Southport before 10am and complained that it was costing £12... why put the money in then?!

That's not the issue though.

The issue is, as described above, a ticket that costs (say) £15 before discount. This should be charged at £12. Instead, the customer is asked to pay £15!

 

[barrykas]

One caveat to my previous post, if you're getting close to the end of the minimum fare period, FasTIS will show both fares, though it does also highlight the cheaper fare as only being valid from 10:00.

Cheers,

Barry

 

[WelshBluebird]

Several people have been to the TVM at Liverpool Central with a YP railcard in the past for a journey to Southport before 10am and complained that it was costing £12... why put the money in then?!

So it only shows the minimum fare on the machines before 10am?

Seems a bit annoying for people (like myself) who are buying a return ticket, initially travelling after 10am, but planning to return before 10am on a different day.

I can understand that it could confuse people, but surely there could be the option?

 

[yorkie]

So it only shows the minimum fare on the machines before 10am?

Seems a bit annoying for people (like myself) who are buying a return ticket, initially travelling after 10am, but planning to return before 10am on a different day.

I can understand that it could confuse people, but surely there could be the option?

There's no problem there; the guard has the option to excess you the difference on your return.

I don't see how that can annoy anyone? The excess will be the difference in price that you paid and £12 (or, if the original fare is under £12, the difference in price between the price that you paid and the non-discounted fare).

 

[WelshBluebird]

There's no problem there; the guard has the option to excess you the difference on your return.

I don't see how that can annoy anyone? The excess will be the difference in price that you paid and £12 (or, if the original fare is under £12, the difference in price between the price that you paid and the non-discounted fare).

Its more to do with wanting to avoid excesses and the like.
I've had a couple of experiences in the past where guards have been much less than helpful, so I'd prefer to have the correct ticket ready if I can .

 

[Nick W]

What should the passenger do if, say, the train was leaving at 09:55, and it was cheaper to buy an un-discounted fare for say £2 to the next stop, and an £8 discounted fare from that stop to the destination, rather than the £12 and there only facility available was a ticket machine?

 

[island]

What should the passenger do if, say, the train was leaving at 09:55, and it was cheaper to buy an un-discounted fare for say £2 to the next stop, and an £8 discounted fare from that stop to the destination, rather than the £12 and there only facility available was a ticket machine?

Buy the £2 ticket and see the guard onboard immediately.

 

[323235]

Buy the £2 ticket and see the guard onboard immediately.

What if the train is DOO?

 

[island]

Then you can buy at your destination. The rules allow you to buy a ticket for part of your journey when the ticket you want can't be bought using the available facilities.

 

[Nick W]

The rules allow you to buy a ticket for part of your journey when the ticket you want can't be bought using the available facilities.

Does that mean that if you want a ticket from a station other than the one you're boarding the train at, you can board the train ticket-less? (I realise the the advice to see the guard as a first priority is brilliant in all such circumstances, and it's a shame there's not a little notice at every such station mentioning this.)

 

[323235]

East Midlands Trains say in there Penalty Fare leaflet the following

If you are unable to purchase your ticket online,
the following options are available for purchasing
tickets at a station:
• Ticket Vending Machines – these will accept
cash and most major credit/debit cards
• At the station Ticket Office.
If neither of these options are available at the station
(this may be because it is not possible to purchase the
type of ticket you require i.e. a concession ticket from
a Ticket Vending Machine or because it is out of order
and the station Ticket Office is closed) and you do
not have a pre-booked ticket, you should approach a
member of on board staff to purchase a ticket as soon
as possible.

Therefore I would say that since every Penalty Fare Scheme should be the same and this should apply to all Penalty Fare Operators. Although I cannot verify this. the only operators that do say this are EMT and Chiltern Railways.

also

7.3 An authorised collector must not charge a penalty fare under
rule 6.2 if any of the following circumstances applied at the
station where the person joined the relevant train.
a There were no facilities available to issue the appropriate
ticket or other authority for the journey which that person
wanted to make.

and finally

7.4 An authorised collector must not charge a penalty fare under
rule 6.5 if, when the person entered the compulsory ticket
area:
a there were no facilities available for selling the appropriate
ticket or other authority for the journey the person wanted
to make or for entering the compulsory ticket area;

That pretty much makes it clearcut and if you were charged a penalty fare, appealing would surely be successful as a Ticket Machine cannot sell tickets for which you are starting short on or where you have not had the opportunity to buy on a previous train and are interchanging, therefore the appropriate facilities arn't available.

 

[MikeWh]

Does that mean that if you want a ticket from a station other than the one you're boarding the train at, you can board the train ticket-less? (I realise the the advice to see the guard as a first priority is brilliant in all such circumstances, and it's a shame there's not a little notice at every such station mentioning this.)

If the ticket you require is from a different station, surely you already have a ticket to get you from where you are to the other station, so I don't think that would be a problem at all. You wouldn't be ticketless, after all.

 

[bb21]

If the ticket you require is from a different station, surely you already have a ticket to get you from where you are to the other station, so I don't think that would be a problem at all. You wouldn't be ticketless, after all.

I think he means to start short, ie. buy a Manchester - London ticket from Nottingham station and start short there, for example. This can't be done from the TVM when the ticket office is closed.

 

[me123]

What if the train is DOO?

See the ticket examiner?

 

[John @ home]

What if the train is DOO?

See the ticket examiner?

That is likely to work in the former Strathclyde PTE area but almost nowhere else. FCC, for example, don't have conductors or ticket examiners. The driver is the only member of staff on most FCC services.