SPT Zonecard

[me123]

OK, I know you don't get many Zonecard requests on here, but I'm rather baffled by the whole thing. I usually travel on a rail season ticket or just by buying on the day (depending on my requirements), but I now have a more complex itinerary and as such I think a Zonecard may be the best value for money.

I need to do the following regularly:

• Travel from Blairhill to Partick (at least 3 days a week)
• Travel to Stobhill hospital twice a week, either by transferring onto a bus in Glasgow, or changing trains at Bellgrove to get to Springburn
• Occasional travel to Zone G8

Easy enough to work out I would have thought. Alas, I'm bamboozled.

To add to the confusion, I don't know what zone Stobhill is in (it's either G1 or G7) and I don't know how the complex arrangement for the Glasgow zones works out:

If you hold a valid ticket for either G1 or G2, you are also able to travel within the shaded city centre area - see cream shaded area of enlarged map of areas G1 and G2 - and on the Subway system. If you hold a valid ticket for either G1 or G2 and wish to travel in an outer Glasgow zone (G3 to G8) a minimum of three zones is required. If you possess three Glasgow zones, you will have the freedom to travel in all Glasgow zones (G1 to G8)

Now, I believe I can be covered by 4 zones; S4 (Blairhill), G1 & G2 (Central Glasgow), and G6 (North Clyde Line). As such, I hold 3 Glasgow ones and can travel in all G1-G8 (therefore covering my trip out to G8, and any other trips I need including G7 should Stobhill be there). This should also give me travel on the Subway.

Am I correct? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

 

[b0b]

Am I correct? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

you've pretty much got it. Zonecard is very confusing, espicially in the glasgow zones.

* You can have G1 or G2 alone, and it covers the shaded area of the other; or
* You can buy both G1 or G2 alone; or
* You can buy any combination of G3 to G8; or
* if you need any combination of G1/G2 and G3/G8; you may buy all G zones, at a cost of 3 zones.

basically the price of the G zones is capped at 3 zones, and crossing from G3/G8 to G1/G2 costs 3 zones always.

 

[rail-britain]

S4 (Blairhill)
G1 & G2 (Central Glasgow)
G6 (North Clyde Line)

Travel from Blairhill to Partick (at least 3 days a week)

Could you list the zones you pass through

Travel to Stobhill hospital twice a week, either by transferring onto a bus in Glasgow, or changing trains at Bellgrove to get to Springburn

Could you list the zones you pass through

Occasional travel to Zone G8

Where from?
Could you lise the zones you pass through

Strictly you need the zones you board, pass, and alight
As an example
Blairhill to Partick by rail
S4, G6, G1

There are some anomolies and some bus drivers are quite strict about this
An example is the bus between Victoria Road and Braehead
G2, G3, R3
However, the route also takes in one bus stop in R1, at the corner of a junction and the only time the bus enters R1
Even though the passenger does not use that bus stop, that increases the zones from three to four, and bus drivers were advised to check this by asking where Zone Card holders were travelling to
Due to complaints this policy was withdrawn

Equally, there was confusion when first introduced
Take a journey from Johnstone to Bishopton
By rail this requires two zones, but by bus only one

 

[b0b]

Equally, there was confusion when first introduced

there was a lot of confusion when initially introduced, which must have been great (not!) for revenue protection. zonecard is way overcomplicated

 

[CarterUSM]

there was a lot of confusion when initially introduced, which must have been great (not!) for revenue protection. zonecard is way overcomplicated

Indeed it is! How many zones again? 50 plus? Even I carry the pamphlet with me in order to confirm a card I may have doubts over, or indeed, to help a passenger with zones required for a potential purchase.

 

[me123]

Thanks for you help, but I've actually decided not to go with Zonecard. My timetable actually means that I've got a lot of off-peak travel, so Zonecard is going to be rather more expensive. But thanks anyway! I think I have a better idea of how it works. now.

From my original query, I think I only needed 3 zones to get to Partick from Blairhill now I look again (S4, G6, G1), so I don't need G2 because I don't need to travel to the South Side. If Stobhill is in G1, that covers me. If it's in G7, I'll need that zone as well (but that makes it so expensive it's unfeasible to be honest). But that would then get me out to Zone G8 once every so often (as an extension of my Blairhill-Partick journeys).

 

[rail-britain]

G1, G6, and S4
You automatically receive G2, and still only pay for three

Zonecard is priced for peak travel before 10:00
If your journeys are after 09:30, then other tickets are typically cheaper as you have found

Equally, I do agree the map is very poor
In some cases you have to guess where the bus stop may be, and the only way to be sure is to look at the codes on the bus stops
Not much good if you've never been there to check!

 

[me123]

I know. It's a pain. As Stobby is in G7 (I drove up today for a test run/to find out) it's not going to be financially worthwhile, but thanks for the help! If I'm ever based there full-time in the future, it'll definitely be better than driving. But since I'm only there 2 days a week at the moment, it's not worth it.

To be fair, Zonecard is fantastic, but it's pretty inflexible (a week has to be Sunday-Saturday) and it's really hard to find out what you need. The rules, although they are in place to make it better value for money, are ridiculously complex and the knowing the zones is a real challenge. It doesn't surprise me for a minute that Carter needs to check up on that one! Whenever we get smartcards (which I believe are in the pipeline) it'll be much easier and much better.

 

[rail-britain]

it's pretty inflexible (a week has to be Sunday-Saturday)

That change came about due to the excessive queues that formed at some stations on Monday mornings
This basically forced people to purchase on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday in advance

Sales data still shows the most common purchase is 4 weeks, renewed on a Friday evening