https://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/if-you-have-a-paper-travelcard-things-are-changing
Started seeing the notices on the buses this week just gone.
Anyone remember when they first bought a bus pass?
Mine would've been Summer 1987, when I left school & started initially at Walsall Itec, then getting a job at my employer through that.
It's all well and good NX going "paper free" but it's one of the only places you can get a one day network on proper TfWM stock (and be able to pay by cash/card) since WMR started printing them on bog roll stock.
Quote from: the trainbasher on March 07, 2021, 12:48:53 AM
It's all well and good NX going "paper free" but it's one of the only places you can get a one day network on proper TfWM stock (and be able to pay by cash/card) since WMR started printing them on bog roll stock.
And you still can. The paper free refers to the weekly and longer travelcards
Quote from: Westy on March 07, 2021, 12:24:39 AM
https://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/if-you-have-a-paper-travelcard-things-are-changing
Started seeing the notices on the buses this week just gone.
Anyone remember when they first bought a bus pass?
Mine would've been Summer 1987, when I left school & started initially at Walsall Itec, then getting a job at my employer through that.
Wow! It was inevitable I just wasn't expecting it so soon. My first travel card was a very very long time ago and my photocard dates back to the late 90s so at least I'll look more like my photo again!
This begs the question now as to how long it'll be before cash is no longer accepted on the bus or you can't buy tickets on board. I know that it will take a lot longer than this transition but change is coming!
Quote from: bususer28 on March 07, 2021, 10:07:30 AM
Wow! It was inevitable I just wasn't expecting it so soon. My first travel card was a very very long time ago and my photocard dates back to the late 90s so at least I'll look more like my photo again!
This begs the question now as to how long it'll be before cash is no longer accepted on the bus or you can't buy tickets on board. I know that it will take a lot longer than this transition but change is coming!
London Buses went cashless in 2014, I would expect NX or TfWM to do the same in next few years
Quote from: Steve3229vp on March 07, 2021, 10:16:46 AM
London Buses went cashless in 2014, I would expect NX or TfWM to do the same in next few years
Can't see it happening yet, the system isn't good enough yet I would think.
Groups of people can't pay for all there fares on one card etc, has to be one card per person from what i've heard. So cash is probably easier for school kids, people paying for young childeren etc I would have thought.
Though the change to paperless travelcards is something that has been coming for a long time I think.
Quote from: 2206 on March 07, 2021, 10:29:49 AM
Can't see it happening yet, the system isn't good enough yet I would think.
Groups of people can't pay for all there fares on one card etc, has to be one card per person from what i've heard. So cash is probably easier for school kids, people paying for young childeren etc I would have thought.
Though the change to paperless travelcards is something that has been coming for a long time I think.
You cannot pay for multiple people on one card in London either, but they are cashless
Quote from: Tony on March 07, 2021, 10:33:15 AM
You cannot pay for multiple people on one card in London either, but they are cashless
Didn't think child fares were available paying by contactless either though? Or the pre 9.30 tickets for concessionary passes? Not sure if they are elsewhere though.
I just bought a one month paper travel card as well :-[.
I do believe NX quietly mentioned it in their payzone FAQs:
Quote from: NX Bus Payzone FAQs
We're sorry things have to change. But the old ticket machines in our agents and travelshops can't be repaired any more.
That being said though, the ones in the Corporation Street Travelshop look fine, so it must just be that a decreasing amount of them still work in an workable manner.
Overall, I do think it's a good move by NX.
Presumably Network passes bought at railway stations (also valid on bus/metro) will still be valid?
Has the Swift system evolved to have daily/weekly fare caps yet? Or still sticking with the idea of loading passes onto cards/phones? I mean, I haven't used a paper ticket in the West Midlands for years, had an nBus pass on Swift pretty much since it launched til I moved south, but I'm just curious
Quote from: Kevin on March 08, 2021, 03:29:47 PM
Has the Swift system evolved to have daily/weekly fare caps yet? Or still sticking with the idea of loading passes onto cards/phones? I mean, I haven't used a paper ticket in the West Midlands for years, had an nBus pass on Swift pretty much since it launched til I moved south, but I'm just curious
I think the 'Pay as you go' thing has a daily cap at the cost of whatever is relevant from the following chart (https://www.wmnetwork.co.uk/swift/swift-go-fare-caps/). For weekly tickets, I think you have to pre-purchase them.
There seems to be three different cards - the standard "Swift" Card that has the pre-loaded passes on, a "multi-day" card where you can pre-pay for 5/10/15 days' worth of travel and it only activates for that particular day if you use it, and the "Swift go" card which is the daily price capped one.
https://www.wmnetwork.co.uk/swift/
Nowhere near as interconnected as the Oyster card.EDIT: modified as per Tony's statement below. I just thought there was the residents' card and the visitors card.
Quote from: ellspurs on March 08, 2021, 04:27:11 PM
I think the 'Pay as you go' thing has a daily cap at the cost of whatever is relevant from the following chart (https://www.wmnetwork.co.uk/swift/swift-go-fare-caps/). For weekly tickets, I think you have to pre-purchase them.
There seems to be three different cards - the standard "Swift" Card that has the pre-loaded passes on, a "multi-day" card where you can pre-pay for 5/10/15 days' worth of travel and it only activates for that particular day if you use it, and the "Swift go" card which is the daily price capped one.
https://www.wmnetwork.co.uk/swift/
Nowhere near as interconnected as the Oyster card.
Oyster has different types of card as well, no different.
Quote from: ellspurs on March 08, 2021, 04:27:11 PM
I think the 'Pay as you go' thing has a daily cap at the cost of whatever is relevant from the following chart (https://www.wmnetwork.co.uk/swift/swift-go-fare-caps/). For weekly tickets, I think you have to pre-purchase them.
There seems to be three different cards - the standard "Swift" Card that has the pre-loaded passes on, a "multi-day" card where you can pre-pay for 5/10/15 days' worth of travel and it only activates for that particular day if you use it, and the "Swift go" card which is the daily price capped one.
https://www.wmnetwork.co.uk/swift/
Nowhere near as interconnected as the Oyster card.
EDIT: modified as per Tony's statement below. I just thought there was the residents' card and the visitors card.
Looks like a couple of operators including some rather large ones are not participating in the Swift Go scheme
Quote from: ellspurs on March 08, 2021, 04:27:11 PM
I think the 'Pay as you go' thing has a daily cap at the cost of whatever is relevant from the following chart (https://www.wmnetwork.co.uk/swift/swift-go-fare-caps/). For weekly tickets, I think you have to pre-purchase them.
There seems to be three different cards - the standard "Swift" Card that has the pre-loaded passes on, a "multi-day" card where you can pre-pay for 5/10/15 days' worth of travel and it only activates for that particular day if you use it, and the "Swift go" card which is the daily price capped one.
https://www.wmnetwork.co.uk/swift/
Nowhere near as interconnected as the Oyster card.
EDIT: modified as per Tony's statement below. I just thought there was the residents' card and the visitors card.
No London Travelcards, weekly, monthly and Annual can also be put on Oyster cards, Children are also given Oyster cards as proof of age for free travel
I can't remember when it was but it was certainly a few years ago now when NX Bus stopped providing paper tickets by post to direct debit customers, and sent us a shiny Swiftcard instead.
I thought at that point they would start phasing out all other paper travelcards, can't believe they've left it this long to be honest.
Quote from: Stu on March 08, 2021, 07:27:27 PM
I can't remember when it was but it was certainly a few years ago now when NX Bus stopped providing paper tickets by post to direct debit customers, and sent us a shiny Swiftcard instead.
I thought at that point they would start phasing out all other paper travelcards, can't believe they've left it this long to be honest.
To be honest I only swopped to a Swiftcard, because Nx had a flyer in the Travelshops with details to send off for a free one!
(This was around the time the X51 Sunday service was introduced ISTR!)
My 1st off peak travelcard was purchased on 3/8/84 and my haulage notes show the following highlights of the day : 7045 (SE) on the 9, M55003 (TS) on the stourbridge shuttle. Had a look round Foster St garage. 4320 (HY) on the 16 to Green lane terminus for 4516 (WB) on the 406 round to scott arms. Then in the evening 6335 (CR) on the 79, wb to bham. Happy days
Travelling to work today, I noticed that ticket machines are now dispensing little pieces of paper saying tickets are going paperless and people should visit the website to find out their options however no mention of any final transition date.
Quote from: bususer28 on March 10, 2021, 05:36:45 PM
Travelling to work today, I noticed that ticket machines are now dispensing little pieces of paper saying tickets are going paperless and people should visit the website to find out their options however no mention of any final transition date.
I was wondering why there was a string of uncollected tickets hanging out the printer when I got on my bus home this evening (and had got longer when I got off!).
What a waste of paper, ironically speaking!
Quote from: Stu on March 10, 2021, 06:46:09 PM
What a waste of paper, ironically speaking!
Very late but I usually just grab them and put them in the used tickets bin. Helps a lot.
In other news, the nxbus website says April 3rd (Saturday) will be the day when they'll stop selling paper travelcards (https://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/if-you-have-a-paper-travelcard-things-are-changing).
Edit: I wonder where I should apply, nxbus or WMCA?
Quote from: mesub on March 30, 2021, 04:17:54 PM
In other news, the nxbus website says April 3rd (Saturday) will be the day when they'll stop paper travelcards
Does this mean we won't be able to buy a paper ticket from the bus like a adult single
Quote from: SN65 OMC on March 30, 2021, 06:22:57 PM
Does this mean we won't be able to buy a paper ticket from the bus like a adult single
No, you'll still be able to. It's just the paper travelcards: https://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/if-you-have-a-paper-travelcard-things-are-changing
It looks like the link didn't fully copy so I'll update that now.