Advice - Bus Inspector Penalty fare

anewman

I've bought a train ticket to Manchester from Leeds, and you can pay a little extra to get a "plus bus" train ticket, that you can also use as a day rider on buses in Manchester. Not sure if this is only in Manchester though or if they even still do it as was a while ago now. The ticket OP had should have clearly detailed exactly what it was for though, and if it said train then no doubt it meant only trains.

DCFC79

Martin made a mistake and a silly 1 at that and im sure he regrets it, i think the replies are bit OTT, seriously dont understand how you thought your ticket covered bus travel,

Voyager2002

Why did so many people make such unpleasant, patronising remarks?

Transport in London is closely integrated, and many of the tickets and passes available for one mode (like train) are valid on buses. For example, last time I went to London I bought a train ticket and paid extra to make the ticket valid for a short journey by underground as well. I then used it on a bus, and the driver made it very clear to me that my ticket was also valid for bus rides.

So: had Martin shown his ticket to the driver on boarding his bus, and been allowed to make his journey, he could reasonably have assumed that his ticket was valid for bus travel. And that would have been a defence against the inspector.

Idiophreak

MartinLewisisalegend wrote: »

I admit that if my ticket was wrong I need to pay the fine,

MartinLewisisalegend wrote: »

I said I wouldn't pay and was getting off at the next stop

I don't understand...if you're such an honest *tax paying* fellow...why, when told you had to pay the fine, didn't you just ask where you had to send the cheque?

Swans1912

MartinLewisisalegend wrote: »

Just so you know, I have spoken to a man @ TFL who has passed this case onto his manager. The inspector was in the wrong for taking my ticket and as he didn't issue a penalty notice he could be seriously told off and I don't have to pay any fine.

I am not gloating in any way but I am relieved as nothing like this has ever happened to me before.

Glad to hear! If it was a genuine mistake ( I have no reason to believe otherwise) then it is nice to see common sense come into play!

The ticket inspectors should be acting professional at all times irrelevant of the situation. If the ticket was not owned by a company connected to the train company then surely this is theft of the ticket!

dzug1

anewman wrote: »

I've bought a train ticket to Manchester from Leeds, and you can pay a little extra to get a "plus bus" train ticket, that you can also use as a day rider on buses in Manchester. Not sure if this is only in Manchester though or if they even still do it as was a while ago now. The ticket OP had should have clearly detailed exactly what it was for though, and if it said train then no doubt it meant only trains.

Plus bus is available in many towns throughout the country - as it is in London except it's called a travelcard there. But it is invariably an extra on the rail only fare.

tinkerbell84

dzug1 wrote: »

Plus bus is available in many towns throughout the country - as it is in London except it's called a travelcard there. But it is invariably an extra on the rail only fare.

a travelcard covers the tube as well as buses

dzug1

tinkerbell84 wrote: »

a travelcard covers the tube as well as buses

and DLR and Croydon trams..... But that's not the point I was trying to make - just that extras normally cost extra.

Hintza

I don't understanf why OP didn't just pay the fine. It is upto the individual to be aware of the law and in this case they were not travelling with a valid ticket. saying I thought it covered it just does not cut it.

I'm struggling to see what the inspector did wrong.

dmg24

MartinLewisisalegend wrote: »

I get the train to work from Romford to London every day. As I am trying to save some cash I don't buy a Travelcard anymore but only a train ticket to London excluding tube.

Why did you previously buy a Travelcard? Surely if you knew that you needed one then, you would know that you need one now?