# Dublin Bus fares / lack of change given



## Molly Bloom (23 Aug 2010)

I get a bus to work - in Dublin - during the week, and the fare is €1.15. Frequently I don't have the exact change, and might find myself dropping €1.20 into slot. 

About half the time the driver will automatically generate the 'claim' part of the ticket, for €0.05. Other times the drivers don't do it, and I don't always ask. The difference is only €0.05 a time, and I'm not obsessing ..... 

But I do wonder what happens to the extra cash at the end of each driver's shift. Do they have to account only for the cash in the machine that balances to all tickets they've issued .....? In which case, do they get to keep the rest of the cash themselves? Or does Dublin Bus donate it to some good cause? I imagine most people don't go to O'Connell St to reclaim the money they're owed.


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## markpb (23 Aug 2010)

The cash drops into a safe underneath the bus so she driver won't ever see it, much less get to keep it. I'd imagine any difference goes into the same place as the unclaimed change tickets - a charity account which is released after five years.


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## elcato (23 Aug 2010)

I usually tell the driver not to bother with issuing the ticket to me and I'm sure sometimes they print it out and keep it themselves or take a note and print it at the end of his shift. As far as I'm concerned it's a tip which they can forfeit to the charity if they like.


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## markpb (23 Aug 2010)

DB changed their policy about 18 months ago. Refund tickets can no longer be collected without the associated sale ticket attached. It might not be the main motivation behind it but it would definitely stop drivers printing out change receipts and claiming them themselves. I'm sure charities get away with it though.


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## Daffodil (23 Aug 2010)

Why don't you get a pre paid ticket.  It works out cheaper in the long run and you never have to worry about having change. I rarely take the bus but always have a 10 journey ticket with me just in case - you get 90 minutes per swipe so you can take as many journeys on the buses during that 90 minutes.


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## markpb (23 Aug 2010)

There are no prepaid tickets for people who pay €1.15 or €1.60 anymore - the 2 trip tickets for those cash fares were withdrawn last year and the 90 minute ticket is more expensive - forcing those people to pay cash. It's a ridiculous situation because most people in the inner suburbs pay cash and slow the buses down even more, not to mention the inconvenience of having to have coins for every trip.


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## Molly Bloom (23 Aug 2010)

Hi guys,

Thanks for your replies.  I'm one of those in the 'inner suburbs' who slows the bus down (!), but I'm afraid walking isn't an option at present due to an injured foot.

So I'll have to continue scrambling for the exact change every morning!  It does strike me as a bit primitive that drivers can't give change, but there you are .....


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## Towger (23 Aug 2010)

Daffodil said:


> Why don't you get a pre paid ticket. It works out cheaper in the long run and you never have to worry about having change. I rarely take the bus but always have a 10 journey ticket with me just in case - you get 90 minutes per swipe so you can take as many journeys on the buses during that 90 minutes.


 
These tickets cost €18 a go and OPs fare is €1.15.


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## markpb (23 Aug 2010)

Molly Bloom said:


> I'm one of those in the 'inner suburbs' who slows the bus down (!), but I'm afraid walking isn't an option at present due to an injured foot.



Just to be clear, I don't blame you at all - this is entirely a problem created by DB themselves.


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## huskerdu (23 Aug 2010)

I have travelled on very good public transport systems in many European cities and its pretty normal for the driver not to give change or sometimes not to sell tickets at all. BUT, it is always very easy to buy pre-paid tickets.

I am horrified that DB have reduced the availability and range of pre-paid tickets. 
What are they thinking ?


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## Sol28 (23 Aug 2010)

I used to buy the 10 journey tickets years ago. You could buy a pack for each equivalent fare you could get on the bus. they were very handy. Nowadays I have to pay cash for each journey as I tend to take the bus in every morning and walk home most evenings. And all the prepaid fares work out more expensive than my 1.15 fare per trip. The Luas has the smartcard that allows you to tag on and off. Sooner DB get something like that working - and integrated ticketing in place across all public transport the better.


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## Towger (23 Aug 2010)

Sol28 said:


> Sooner DB get something like that working - and integrated ticketing in place across all public transport the better.


 
In 1995 they were planning to have it implemented by1998.


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## Mpsox (23 Aug 2010)

Towger said:


> In 1995 they were planning to have it implemented by1998.


 
They RPA have signed a contract with HP (who run the London Oyster Card) and are aiming to have it up and running early next year.


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## TarfHead (23 Aug 2010)

Sol28 said:


> .. And all the prepaid fares work out more expensive than my 1.15 fare per trip. The Luas has the smartcard that allows you to tag on and off.


 
FWIW .. the DART SMART card option works out, for me, more expensive than the alternative tickets. I thought one of the virtues of such technology was to reduce cost & introduce efficiencies. And, IIRC, the SMART card has either a set-up cost, or an annual maintenance cost, driving up the cost even more.


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## markpb (23 Aug 2010)

TarfHead said:


> FWIW .. the DART SMART card option works out, for me, more expensive than the alternative tickets. I thought one of the virtues of such technology was to reduce cost & introduce efficiencies.



Like the Luas Smartcard, the card is only an ePurse card so it's only designed to be useful (and cheaper) for people who use the system occasionally. For everyone else, periodic tickets will always be cheaper.


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## Sol28 (23 Aug 2010)

For periodic users - the ePurse option is perfect. Saves having to carry lots of cash - and queueing for tickets. On the Luas the weekly tickets work out cheaper - they had an excel spreadsheet available that would tell you the best option for your usage. If I was using it twice a day for a 5 day week - A weekly ticket is best. for a sporadic user - the smart card is best. And the smart card is still cheaper than the price at the ticket machines


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