TfL has begun insisting that people touch in when making bus journeys again. From today, those using single door buses and the new Routemaster ‘Boris’ buses which have readers by the middle door will be expected to validate their Oyster or contactless card or device. Other two door buses will follow once modifications to the screen between the driver and the passenger area are complete. These modifications will block the area where cash transactions used to take place and cover the holes for speech between the driver and passengers.
Signs on the doors and announcements will make it clear when passengers are expected to validate their cards again.
Friday: get a 157, board at middle door, no touch in. Saturday, get a 157, front door boarding, touch in. Check the tfl website and it’s on the list of routes that went back to charging from Saturday. Fair enough. Yesterday it was back on middle door and no charge again! It’s either board at the front and pay or it’s not, they can’t have it both ways with a mixture on the same route!
Hi Phil,
So basically you’re complaining that you managed to get a bus where you unexpectedly had a free ride! Would you have prefered it if the bus hadn’t run and you’d had to wait longer, and pay? There really is no pleasing some people!
I’ve since discovered that apparently it runs out of Thornton Heath on Sunday’s and South Norwood the rest of the week-buses from the former are still rear door boarding whilst the latter are front door. I suppose it’s akin to having a car park that charges on weekdays but is free at weekends. I’m not complaining as I’ve no objection to paying, just feel there’s a lack of clarity when the tfl website tells you one thing whilst the bus and/or it’s driver are telling you another.
Hi Phil,
Well that’s certainly an unusual situation, and explains what happened too. At least they did it that way round so the odd day was free rather than charging.
Looks like it’s sorted now as yesterday was front door boarding and tap-in.