Stagecoach Manchester

[Quackdave]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(01/03/2017 10:36)Mayneway Wrote:  Some funny comments regarding contactless payments above. Presumably all those that think it's a quicker alternative to handing over cash - I disagree.

No, I wasn't intending to suggest that. By itself, I don't think it will make much difference either way to the average speed of a transaction. I'm thinking more of convenience, and the knowledge that I'd always be able to catch a bus, even if I don't have enough cash (or maybe not even know whether I have enough cash, if I am not familiar with the fares).

Only as part of far more fundamental changes to the system, such as have been implemented in London, would it contribute to speeding up boarding. There, touching the card on the reader is the entirety of the transaction. Neither you nor it needs to know where you're going, how many other journeys you intend to make, what other modes of transport you plan to use, etc. You will be retrospectively charged the most favourable fare for the journeys you've made, whether that be a number of single fares, a day ticket, or a weekly ticket. You're not going to convince me that that isn't vastly superior to having to weigh those things up in advance. The number of times I've bought a System One daysaver that included more modes than I actually ended up using, is more than I care to remember!

I do believe contactless technology is improving. The bank card that I had from 2013-2016 was quite troublesome, and often needed numerous attempts; sometimes I just gave up and used chip+PIN. When I received my replacement card from the same bank about a year ago, I was astounded by the difference. It works every time and generally takes less than a second. I've heard others say similar, but never the opposite. Therefore, I do wonder if many people's negative perceptions of contactless are based on experiences that are increasingly not the norm.