Why Not Prepaid Bus Fares?
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How the Work of Bus Conductors Could be Alleviated; Points in Favour of the Central-entrance Double-decker
ABUS conductor is a travelling salesman in more senses than one. He is not only making a journey with his customers, but he visits each in turn to ascertain how much travel service they wish to purchase; he takes their money, gives them a receipt and, in many instances, the necessary change also.
During this individual and peripatetic salesmanship he watches over the safety of his customers as they board or alight from the vehicle, warns them to " hold tightly, please," and deals patiently with all questions, even when the passenger thinks he knows the faretable better than the conductor does.
There are times when these varied duties may be easily performed, because it hoot a rush hour and passengers are few, but there are the peak periods when the conductor is called upon to perform an almbst impossible task. The bus is carrying, legally, some 80 passengers, all eager to arrive at their destinations punctually.
' Difficult Rush Periods Many are travelling a few stages only, consequently there are times when a bunch of passengers all wish to alight at a particular point, and all may not have been reached to collect their respective fares, even by the most agile and nimble-fingered conductors. Such a state of affairs, when six out of a dozen passengers want change, demands considerable readiness of resource to think and act quickly if this onrush of business is to be successfully transacted,
The double-deck bus is probably the most scientifically constructed vehicle, as a whole, apart from its comfortable seats on both decks which may be enjoyed in all weathers. Moreover, in view of its carrying capaciV, it is economical in its use of roa" space. But its necessary staircase is regarded by some as an item which calls for extra exertion and is, therefore, to be avoided if possible. Speaking generally, however, the majority of passengers is quite willing to use the upper saloon if
the one be full and, of course, Mks . the stairs are a mere incident if the passenger be climbing upwards to the heaven of a smoking compartment.
The passenger makes only one ascent and descent of the stairs during a jonrney, but the conductor goes up and down the stairs a hundred times a day. Probably, when he retires to punch no more, he will show a decided preference for a bungalow, or a flat at ground level.
A Step Forward Whilst one cannot help admiring the smoothness with which the experienced conductor performs the many duties of his task, it is considered that after 50 years of fare-collection by the issue of tickets on the vehicle, something less complicated should be devised. A step in the right direction has already been made by the experiment which has been tried with a central-entrance double-decker.
Here the conductor is installed as in a booking-office opposite the entrance, where there is a circulating area which must be used by all passengers, whether. riding in the lower or upper saloon. The issue of tickets is facilitated by a ticket-issuing machine and change can be given more readily from a small counter than from a leather pouch.
Pay-as-you-enter is not a new idea, but it has been adopted chiefly for routes where the same fare is charged for any distance travelled.
A great improvement has been made when the conductor, acting as a booking clerk, is so stationed that be can always be near at hand when passengers are boarding or alighting. It should be possible to simplify the payment of bus fares still further by selling them at appointed places on or close to bus routes.
This method of buying tickets is by no means revolutionary because, in some localities, workmen's tickets may be bought in advance, and there has been a system of combined road and rail tickets as well as return tickets, whereby the actual purchase of the ticket is not confined to the vehicle on which the passenger may be travelling.
It is suggested that intending passengers should be encouraged to buy their tickets beforehand, thereby transferring the delay which occurs when change is required, to an office where it can be done with greater ease. Doubtless, it would be advisable to date the ticket, but with some range as to how long it would be available.
All passengers would not avail themselves of the prepaid ticket, so that the conductor would still be called upon to issue tickets and collect fares, but, in course of time, it is considered that his duties would be considerably lightened and the use of the high-capacity double-decker made more practicable.
The conductor would examine all tickets, punching them with a special punch similar to that already used for cancelling workmen's return tickets. The continued issue of these return tickets tends to prove that it is quite feasible to cancel a ticket which has not been purchased on that particular vehicle, whilst, at the same time, the conductor is collecting fares in the ordinary way.
Danger of Fraud It has been suggested that the pu.rchase of bus tickets could not be made a universal system because the bus conductor is not a ticket collector. If this be an objection then it is a further argument in favdur of the centralentrance bus. It may also be considered that too much facility for purchasing tickets might lead to fraud.
It may be pointed out that, under present fare-collecting systems, fares are sometimes not paid. The conductor . is probably on the top deck and the hurrying passenger from the lower saloon cannot wait to climb the stairs to offer his fare. He may thrust his pennies into the hand of a stranger sitting near the doorway, or send a postage-stamp to the office of the company. On the other hand, with prepaid tickets, the bus company would always have in hand a fair sum of money representing services yet to be rendered. • H.J.B: