TfWM corporate branding

[Straightlines]

Swift isn't a finished product, nor has it even been proclaimed to be.

Swift has been out since around 2013.

Sounds like a Smartcard version of the Forth Bridge painting!

[james99]

Careful on what you are saying there, next thing you'll get is someone completely disagreeing with your opinion!

Oh I know.

Swift has been out since around 2013.

Sounds like a Smartcard version of the Forth Bridge painting!

Advertising Swift PAYG when there are areas with no Swift PAYG top up points so you have to buy a ticket to go to one... especially if you've got an iPhone instead of an Android phone.

As I say, I reckon in a year or two TfWM will force everyone to have an NBus (albeit under a different name) which is a lot more expensive than the NX offering that most people have. Backlash from the passengers!

Also, what right do TfWM have to use taxpayers money to make advertising on bus shelters, by replacing the shelters, more visible to car drivers to make more money when they're already making bus travel more expensive, and then wasting the money on vanity projects.

Its a combined authority. So should be for the benefit of local people.

[Jack]

Also, what right do TfWM have to use taxpayers money to make advertising on bus shelters, by replacing them, more visible to car drivers to make more money when they're already making bus travel more expensive.

Oh and replace perfectly good shelters with new crap ones so people are exposed to the elements so an advert board is put up to advertise propaganda. This one really winds me up!
I can name loads of stops with these appalling shelters.

[james99]

Oh and replace perfectly good shelters with new crap ones so people are exposed to the elements so an advert board is put up to advertise propaganda.

It's because the advertising company will pay them more as more people (car drivers) can see it as they drive past.
And then they use this money on replacing more shelters... and then on things such as this new corporate branding scheme.

[Jack]

It's because the advertising company will pay them more as more people (car drivers) can see it as they drive past.
And then they use this money on replacing more shelters... and then on things such as this new corporate branding scheme.

Yes, so more money is wasted. Like replacing busy shelters with pole stops as their data tells them otherwise. Cough Station Bridge. Oh and Gravelly Hill, The Mount inbound which is often busy from passing by a lot.

A decent thing they could use the money on is replace faded flags on bus stops that you can barely see. But no I'll get told that's a waste of money and using it on new shelters are better...

[james99]

The ticketing department is extremely busy and work tirelessly to help every single customer. It's not always a straight forward solution. So can take time to discover.

@Dom
Maybe the ticketing department is working tirelessly to help customers, but the data collecting department isn't. It's wasting taxpayers (customers) money to pay people to do jobs that are done by the ticket machines.

[Steveminor]

The money is wasted on staff that are no longer needed as both Init and Ticketer do their jobs for them ;)

So what about all those operators on parkeon machines?

[TinnedPeaches]

Call me cynical (as I'm sure I will be) but having read the press release from TFWM the only real reasons they give for this re-brand are to inspire a sense of pride and provide a single identity for all transport in the area. Hardly sound economic reasoning in a time when budgets are being slashed left right and centre. It feels very much like something that can be done that people will be able to see rather than having any real concrete foundation in actually improving services.

[2206]

I think an NX only smart card for NX season tickets should be introduced that's specifically designed to work with the Init system... but that probably won't happen with all of this integration.
NX could easily do a better job - afterall, they've got a good contactless system using init.

Oh and by integration... I see fare rises as I wouldn't be surprised if TfWM try and get rid of operator specific tickets.
And the current NBus monthly is more expensive than NX one.

@V89MOA is right... Totally frivolously wasting money (and charging the passengers more so no benefit to them).

The intergration with joint frequencys etc. sounds to me like it'll actually improve things for passengers.
How can you complain that they'll raise fares when thats not been anounced yet, and they've not announced what plans they've got in place.

TfWM lover has kept quiet I notice.
Honestly I'm not surprised about NBus, considering everything is about bloody Swift nowadays! Reasons that have been mentioned here are why I refuse to have a swift card and rather have my monthly bus pass that comes through the post. Tbf Swift is all over the place nowadays so no surprise NBus is not as popular now. Family members who use Swift say they regretted having it now after the constant problems they have with it.

Regarding your comment "Tbf Swift is all over the place nowadays so no surprise NBus is not as popular now.
I've got a swift card - N  Bus swift (Direct Debit) - used to have a NX Regional one as welll, never had any problems using them over the last 12 months as well.
I'm sure anybody wanting to make a trip involving 2 operators or that has to regualrly use a non NX tendered route (eg Igo 96/99), there seem to be plenty of passengers along the 94 route (though many have NX passes so will wait for the NX bus) that do have swift cards so they can get on the Claribels bus, presumably they'd find it more convenient and quicker/faster to just be able to get on the first bus that comes.
I don't see how you can know its not a popular product.

Speaking of the top up machines... I believe theres none in the Sutton Coldfield or Erdington area.

Pay As You Go and topping up does seem to be inconvenient though - inconvenience of having to find somewhere to top it up and they seem to be few and far between, etc

[Jack]

Regarding your comment "Tbf Swift is all over the place nowadays so no surprise NBus is not as popular now.
I've got a swift card - N  Bus swift (Direct Debit) - used to have a NX Regional one as welll, never had any problems using them over the last 12 months as well.
I'm sure anybody wanting to make a trip involving 2 operators or that has to regualrly use a non NX tendered route (eg Igo 96/99), there seem to be plenty of passengers along the 94 route (though many have NX passes so will wait for the NX bus) that do have swift cards so they can get on the Claribels bus, presumably they'd find it more convenient and quicker/faster to just be able to get on the first bus that comes.
Pay As You Go does seem a bit difficult though - inconvenience of having to find somewhere to top it up and they seem to be few and far between
I don't see how you can know its not a popular product.

I was talking about PAYG Swift. There's been many problems from family members using them like the money not going in to the card, a card reader that is out of order and an available one is not local.

[james99]

So what about all those operators on parkeon machines?

Maybe so, but with the two larger operators using Init and Ticketer, you'd think they'd only need a couple (no more than 3) data collectors. Now they've got more than three as I've seen three together in one place. And different ones elsewhere on the same day.

[Dom]

Maybe so, but with the two larger operators using Init and Ticketer, you'd think they'd only need a couple (no more than 3) data collectors. Now they've got more than three as I've seen three together in one place.

You may well of done. But you won't have a clue what were dping. Several of our jobs require more that 1 or 2 people. Don't comment on something you've not got a clue about.

[james99]

You may well of done. But you won't have a clue what were dping. Several of our jobs require more that 1 or 2 people. Don't comment on something you've not got a clue about.

Still a waste of money when I've actually just seen them sitting in McDonald's, or playing on their phones ;)

Oh and standing no where near the buses in Sutton on the pedestrianised bit by Poundland.

Should do work rather than standing around wasting taxpayers money.

I shall be sending a complaint to Tfwm.

[Tony]

Still a waste of money when I've actually just seen them sitting in McDonald's, or playing on their phones ;)

Oh and standing no where near the buses in Sutton on the pedestrianised bit by Poundland.

Should do work rather than standing around wasting taxpayers money.

I shall be sending a complaint to Tfwm.

This is getting personal now. So ends here. You don't know whether they're  on a break or what their instructions are.

[Dom]

Still a waste of money when I've actually just seen them sitting in McDonald's, or playing on their phones ;)

Oh and standing no where near the buses in Sutton on the pedestrianised bit by Poundland.

Said employee could be on their break? They could have a gap in services? May have time to go to the shop to get a drink?

Are you going to complain to National Express when you see a bus driver stood outside his bus on Bull Street? Using your logic you should, because they're not doing their job.