West Midlands PTE expands Autofare
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• Following the success of 200 Autofare machines installed on buses operating in its south division, West Midlands PTE is extending the use of this method of fare collection to 800 of the division's total of 1200 buses.
The initial installation was made in December 1970, when several routes served by double-deckers were converted to oneman operation. Passenger acceptance was remarkably high, and a further 300 machines were ordered and are now installed in o-m-o double-deckers, while the Executive has ordered a further 200 machines.
Autofare is the trade name for a mechanized system of coin collection, cash control and ticket issuing manufactured by Bell Punch Co Ltd, of Uxbridge, Middlesex, for o-m-o buses. Another very successful application of this method of fare collection is that employed by Hull Corporation Transport, again employing Autofare machines.
The basic principle is the use of a farebox (coin viewing unit) into which passengers insert the correct fare in any combination of coins. However, when the driver, having made a visual check of the money inserted, releases it to drop into the cash box below, a ticket is released which the passenger collects, and the fare paid is recorded. Drivers carry change for passengers who are unable to proffer the correct fare, but regular passengers on West Midlands Autofare buses are inclined to be impatient when such transactions take place, and delay boarding.
A monetary saving of 5p a mile for each Autofare o-m-o service is reported by the Executive, and the , acute staff problem has been overcome. Mr C. Nurse, operations manager of West Midlands PTE, commenting on the system said: "The public have cooperated remarkably well, and the result of this is the completion of a full year at the end of which you rarely hear a complaint from anyone.
"For our part, we have not had to move or eliminate one bus stop from the whole of the south division network."