Fare rise and ticket changes July 2023

[Westy]

My sister has to go to a training day for work over Birmingham tomorrow.

The pass she originally had direct debit on was a Nx Black Country Faresaver, which has now been deleted.

She should be having by rights now, if things were upgraded correctly, a Nbus Regional Monthly, also by direct debit.

Her pass, when scanning on Nx buses(dont know about anyone else?), is still showing Nx Black Country Faresaver.

Ok, I said, we'll go down to the kiosk in Walsall Bus Station & see if it needs an update or something & if there's a TfWm bloke about, we can speak to him.

Kiosk said Nx Faresaver, so speaking to TfWm bloke, & he speaks to Nx Customer Services.

To cut a long story short, we had to wait for an update, so we gave it an hour & the kiosk now starts mentioning Nbus Regional, along with the previous Nx references.

Ok, we thought, so we'll try it on the bus, but the Nx machine display still said NX Black Country Faresaver!

My sister's going to try it again tomorrow & if it says the same, she's going to buy a day ticket instead!

(I caught sight of her bank statement & I'm pretty sure it mentioned Nbus already.

The only thing I can think of is, on the kiosk display, the direct debit is valid until 2029. 

That wouldn't affect it surely?)

Another reason for me not to consider direct debit for my own pass.

[Rachvince53]

Seems like a software update hasn't been made to the NX machines. As the software is operated externally,  this is a matter for NX to sort out with the software company. Was your sister's card accepted for travel?  

[Westy]

Seems like a software update hasn't been made to the NX machines. As the software is operated externally,  this is a matter for NX to sort out with the software company. Was your sister's card accepted for travel? 

Card was accepted for travel, but that was for a journey between Walsall & Bloxwich though.

[Stu]

The pass she originally had direct debit on was a Nx Black Country Faresaver, which has now been deleted.

She should be having by rights now, if things were upgraded correctly, a Nbus Regional Monthly, also by direct debit.

Her pass, when scanning on Nx buses(dont know about anyone else?), is still showing Nx Black Country Faresaver.

Card was accepted for travel, but that was for a journey between Walsall & Bloxwich though.

How much is her direct debit now? If it's £55, then she's paying the right amount.

If the pass is being accepted for travel, then there's no issue. Of course, she'd need to try using it on a non-NX service, or an NX service outside the old Black Country region to be certain.

My DD pass still shows as 'Monthly Direct Debit Regional Travelcard' in the Swift Collector in the TfWM app, though I'm sure it shows something different when I tap it on an NX Bus. But I have also used it now on Diamond, Landflight and Stagecoach services and it was accepted just fine.

[Westy]

How much is her direct debit now? If it's £55, then she's paying the right amount.

If the pass is being accepted for travel, then there's no issue. Of course, she'd need to try using it on a non-NX service, or an NX service outside the old Black Country region to be certain.

My DD pass still shows as 'Monthly Direct Debit Regional Travelcard' in the Swift Collector in the TfWM app, though I'm sure it shows something different when I tap it on an NX Bus. But I have also used it now on Diamond, Landflight and Stagecoach services and it was accepted just fine.

@Stu - All I can get her to do is try it tomorrow.

Problem is she faffs more than me, when it comes to this sort of stuff.

Where she works, she's frightened of doing something wrong badly, that it reflects on her job, so if it shows she's fare dodged albeit  unintentionally, I'll never hear the last of it!

[Stu]

Seems like a software update hasn't been made to the NX machines. As the software is operated externally,  this is a matter for NX to sort out with the software company. Was your sister's card accepted for travel? 

No, it is more likely each card uses a 'product identifier code' to refer to the product loaded on that card.

While systems have been updated so that such 'product codes' are accepted on other operator's services, the software is still using previous 'product name' of that product code.

It's what we would call at work a 'cosmetic' issue, but there's no issue really if the pass is being accepted.

[Westy]

Had a text from her.

'No luck. Paid for a Daysaver'

I give in!

I even told her, just blag it!

[Westy]

Had a text from her.

'No luck. Paid for a Daysaver'

I give in!

I even told her, just blag it!

Update.

She gets home around 330pm, saying 'I need to ring National Express!'

So to cut a long story short, it's fixed.

Checking the Swift Collector app on my phone, there was 3 things loaded on her card, 2 relating to NX, 1 relating to Nbus.

One of the Nx entries was already blocked, the 2nd Nx entry needed to be blocked, leaving the Nbus entry untouched.

Checking with a helpful NX driver, who let us on just to check the pass worked, the pass now displays 'Nbus West Midlands' !

Fingers crossed now fixed! 

[Rachvince53]

I hope so for your and your wife's sake!

[karl724223]

I hope so for your and your wife's sake!

WIFE 😂😂😂😂😂
Try sister 😂😂😂😂

[Isle of Stroma]

WIFE 😂😂😂😂😂
Try sister 😂😂😂😂

I didn't think that was an issue in Staffordshire ?

[Westy]

Anyone still having issues still trying to scan on the bus using their phone?

After witnessing several attempts by a woman on the 529 this morning, the driver put it down to the screen protector on the phone.

Is this right?

It should have been made more clearer, if it was likely to be a problem.

Is there likely to be a point where Nx stops taking cash?

[Coventrybususer95]

Anyone still having issues still trying to scan on the bus using their phone?

After witnessing several attempts by a woman on the 529 this morning, the driver put it down to the screen protector on the phone.

Is this right?

It should have been made more clearer, if it was likely to be a problem.

Is there likely to be a point where Nx stops taking cash?

All depends on the angle of the phone mine won't accept if its not at about 30% angle, which is really annoying when there's a cue of people behind 

[MW]

Where I work, we use Zeelo (you scan M Tickets with a work phone). 

The issues are usually either when sunlight is shining onto the windscreen and then onto the passengers phone screen when they're trying to scan or the other issue is when passengers have got their screen brightness turned down, and it's therefore more difficult for the scanner to pick up the QR code.

It'll be the same principle with the NX scanners, no doubt.

I can imagine screen protectors would be an issue when they're dirty or because of sunlight reflection.

[2206]

Is there likely to be a point where Nx stops taking cash?

Probably no time soon I would think. The £1.50 ticket for elderly/disabled pre 9.30 can only be paid for in cash as far as I know and some elderly people probably also prefer cash. Also a lot of the school children used to pay with cash when I used to use the X2.