LB's self service tickets
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• London Buses will begin large-scale trials of an advanced ticket system in Southeast London on March 22. This marks a return by LB to a self-service ticket system to speed up boarding times.
Initial tests with the new Autocheck equipment show time spent at stops to be no longer than with conventional two-man buses. The system provides for single tickets to be issued by the driver through a Wayfarer (MDL) ticket machine, as used on buses by other companies on contract to London Regional Transport.
In addition a wide variety of multi-journey tickets, seasons and pensioners' passes can be read, checked and validated by Autocheck. It uses two identical card readers, one mounted on the side of the staircase behind the driver and the other on the nearside front wheelarch.
Passengers holding magnetically-coded passes proceed straight to one of the machines and insert their card. The card reader checks the ticket for date, time of day, and fare zone, and then illuminates a light to show whether the card is for a child, adult or concessionary passenger. A buzzer sounds to acknowledge a good ticket, while a harsher sound marks a rejected ticket.
Some inspectors will carry hand-held devices for checking the magnetic codes on the back of the tickets. Two makes of machine, by Wayfarer (MDL) and Thorn EMI, are being evaluated in the trials, which are expected to last six months.
A total of 21 routes in the Thamesmead/Bexley area are involved in the trial.