Nailsea & Backwell Station

[whole diary]

[thetrout]

Agreed, John.

But if it is to be card only, why install half a dozen (showing my age!) concrete bollards around it

Probably because the criminals aren't switched on enough to distinguish between a card only ticket machine and a cash collecting one (not meaning to sound harsh)

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

Agreed, John.

But if it is to be card only, why install half a dozen (showing my age!) concrete bollards around it

Probably because the criminals aren't switched on enough to distinguish between a card only ticket machine and a cash collecting one (not meaning to sound harsh)

would be more concerned with illegal card readers  and pin cameras like the cash machine scam

[thetrout]

I feel that this image is somewhat appropriate on the subject of bollards

Enjoy...

[TheLastMinute]

I've got to be honest, it took me a minute or 2 to work it out...

LOL^▸ (laughing out loud) 

[John R]

For a moment I thought that was the new station buildings under construction at Nailsea. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Update on the ticket machine saga at Nailsea & Backwell:

Today, a large team of contractors were on site, removing the surviving ticket machine from the footpath under platform 1 and re-installing it, together with another brand new machine, at the bottom of the steps to platform 2.

Both machines were up and running this evening, offering sales by cash or card.  While they have not yet been installed, I understand shelters will also be fitted.

However, CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) will not be a feature.  Apparently, while CCTV was installed (at a cost of ^5,000) at Worle (in response to the attack on a passenger who challenged youths vandalising the ticket machine there - see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3800.0), there is no money available now to install it at Nailsea.  It's part of a 'development plan', but no timescale is known.

Now, pardon me if I'm missing the point here, but if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are prepared to install two ticket machines, each costing ^20,000, isn't another ^5,000 for CCTV protection for such an investment worth including?

[paul7575]

SWT^▸ (South West Trains) have an S&B TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) at Sholing on the Netley line that has a heavy duty exterior casing and an integral roller shutter mechanism. Not sure what time of day the shutter comes down, but I wonder if N&B Is the sort of location a machine like this should be used?

Paul

[Chris from Nailsea]

To be honest, it probably is, Paul - but if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) baulk at ^5,000 for CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision), they'll baulk at whatever such industrial strength casings and shutters cost, too! 

FGW seem content with installing 5 concrete bollards: I'm sure the Top Gear team could demonstrate that those offer no protection against a stolen 4x4, driven with even moderate determination, but there we go ... 

[Chris from Nailsea]

... and, in another exciting (?) update from me, there have been a couple of recent developments:

On Monday morning, there were two chaps struggling to lift a whole pre-fabricated perspex shelter unit up and over the two ticket machines (impeded by those concrete bollards, which were clearly getting in their way).  To be fair, when I checked on my way home on Monday evening, that whole shelter unit was actually installed - apparently protecting both of our ticket machines from the elements.  Good news, I thought!

However, on Tuesday morning, while their shelter was covered in a fairly deep layer of snow, both machines were having yet another hissy fit, probably because they'd been out in the cold wind all night - so neither machine was actually selling tickets, yet again.

And this morning ... I arrived at the station, to find both machines were cordoned off with FGW^▸ (First Great Western) yellow-and-black tape - because they had both had their screens smashed.

So, just to sum up: in the past two days, FGW have installed a shelter, which has achieved nothing in terms of improving reliability of the machines; and their failure to install any CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) coverage means that the attack(s) on the screens will probably remain unsolved - with no record of the identity of the offender(s) / index number(s) of any vehicle(s) / specific time(s) of the offence(s).

Now, I'm sorry if I'm beginning to sound like Victor Meldrew, but this is my money, as a fare-paying passenger, that FGW are wasting ... 

[Timmer]

Sorry to hear that you are continuing to experience problems with your local ticket machines Chris. Gosh I sound a bit like a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) customer services letter!

Sadly at some stations it was always asking for trouble installing them as has been proved a number of times which is a shame as they are very useful. FGW may have to rethink their strategy for those stations who continually have their ticket machines vandalised like not re-installing new ones once they are vandalised.

[TheLastMinute]

Well, both machines had their screens replaced and at least one of them was fully working as of yesterday morning. The other had a replacement screen it was refusing to respond to a touch!

[inspector_blakey]

Well, both machines had their screens replaced and at least one of them was fully working as of yesterday morning. The other had a replacement screen it was refusing to respond to a touch!

Maybe that's why the screens are always getting broken, because you have to thump them to get anywhere! 

I don't think there can be any such thing as a vandal-proof ticket machine though. There always has to be a coin slot to push gum into, buttons to attack with a cigarette lighter, as screen to smash, etc. etc. I think the closest I have seen are the PERTIS^▸ (Permit to travel) "permit to travel" machines, but it sounds like those are out of favour these days since they allow people travelling from penalty fares stations to (legitimately, it must be said) travel for 5p as long as they don't encounter a ticket examiner or station with an open booking office on their travels.

[Chris from Nailsea]

... and again, this morning, both machines had been attacked, with their screens smashed:



Rather bizarrely, the sign on the machine on the left refers to using a machine on Platform 1 - but there's never been a machine on Platform 1!  In fact, that particular machine is the one that was relocated from the footpath under Platform 1, to its present 'prime target' site under Platform 2.  And, to add insult to injury, so to speak, our local cheery chap didn't have his Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) machine either, as that is currently also being repaired

However, due to the stirling efforts of our local chap to get the problem reported and resolved, I'm glad to be able to report that both ticket vending machines were working again this evening:

[devon_metro]

Is the area covered by Cctv? Would it be possible to enclose the machines behind shutters at night? Perhaps better sighting? The one at Paignton never seems to get vandalised, despite how lively it is around station square past midnight!!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Unfortunately, devon_metro, there is no CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) covering these machines - previous posts in this topic suggest that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) didn't want to spend ^5,000 on it, as they'd apparently prefer to spend rather more money repairing these machines, whenever they're attacked.

Shutters could have been installed, certainly - but again, these two machines have been given the token protection of a perspex canopy and five concrete bollards: I suspect that a proper self-contained shelter with shutters was also beyond the budget?