Great Western Coffee Shop

First are running a Saturday bus service in most areas between Christmas and New Year. Mostly this means fewer early morning services ....but they are not allowing bus passes to be used before 9am as they would do on a 'normal' Saturday. Doesn't this seem rather Scrooge like on the part of First.....?
I do not think they should be allowed to circumvent the rules in this sneaky way, and have asked for clarification from the Dft.

Why not? Participation in the DfT's bus-pass scheme is voluntary.  A bus company could decide not to accept the passes at all.

Well thats just wasted tax payers money if you have wrote a letter, would you like the bus to drop you at your door aswell?

Seems to me a perfectly sensible point to raise. But perhaps with First themselves rather than going straight to the DfT.

If you advertise a Saturday service then surely the rules regarding fares should also be those that apply on a Saturday.

And relex109, your criticism is a little unfair. People are entitled to write letters asking for clarification such as this. It is not a waste of taxpayers money to write a letter seeking clarification of rules relating to subsidised transport. The DfT is ultimately funded by taxpayer and they pass on subsidy to transport operators. Taxpayers have a right to enquire to ensure that rules are being followed. oh, and asking whether chuffed would like to be dropped at his door is just flippant.


I'm struggling to find details of 'get out' clauses in the legislation that bus companies may have the right to invoke. How exactly does a bus company go about deciding not to accept passes? What happens to the statutory payments bus operators receive?

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Publictransport/BusAndCoachTravel/DG_10036264

....stressed, please don't be offended if i go off on one its not a personal attack, it just seemed like a pretty minor thing to kick off about, especially after i have read threw the direct gov site and the t&c's of the card , which are quite clear

Well I am pleased I live in a PTE area.  First run my local buses and are operating a Saturday service (except Bank Holidays when it is Sunday service). However they are not responsible for Concessionary Passes, the PTE is. The PTE has arranged (by agreement with the bus companies and Northern Rail) that Conc Passes are valid ALL DAY on buses, Stagecoach Supertram and Northern trains, but they are not valid (until 9 am - normal start time) on other TOC's services (EMT, XC & TPE).

I think I have read that any public bus service, i.e. regulated by the traffic commissioners, must accept the National Concessionary bus pass. The national standard start time to use the national pass on weekdays is 09.30. However local authorities can change this to an earlier time and many have chosen 09.00. Many have not because for use of the pass before 09.30, the cost to the taxpayer, i.e. the payment made to the bus company for each pass use, has to be borne 100% by the local authority whereas for use after 09.
30, the national exchequer shares the cost with the local authority.

The same criticism is levelled at the Network Railcard at this time of year - Saturday rail timetable most of this week, but normal weekday railcard minimum fare applies.

Paul

Not with all toc's

The problem is that a TOC can only lift the restrictions on its own priced flows - so the Network Card discount shouldn't be available on an SWT flow on which FGW trains operate - but SWT should allow it on FGW priced flows.  But I don't think the TVMs etc are clever enough to sort any of that out...

Paul

that could be an issue if you were to get an early service from west of england and change at basingstoke for paddington i guess