Is it illegal to pass on your still valid bus day ticket to someone else

asbokid

judywoody wrote: »

OK - I am not British so I am not really familiar with the law in that regard because it is allowed in my home country.

HELLO, GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME.

Once a week I have to purchase a saveaway ticket that I use on the buses and trains.

Ahh.. Merseytravel's Saveaway scheme. My favourite.

It is valid all day and I can use it as many times as I want on buses and trains is my area. On the same day my husband has to go to an appointment and he also takes the bus. By that time I am usually home and I give him my ticket so we can save some money because the ticket costs 3.40£ which is good but we're struggling a bit with money at the moment. This ticket is just a normal day ticket (no season ticket) - no picture, no personal data, no nothing. I have never seen any signs on the buses or bus stops saying that this would be illegal. But someone else told me today that strictly spoken it is illegal.

"Strictly speaking"..

I have seen a lot of people passing their tickets on to someone else (they obviously don't sell it). Can anyone enlighten me? I couldn't find any information on Google. Maybe the companies don't like it and include in their policy (haven't found anything though) but is it against the LAW??

There are Conditions relating to the use of the Saveaway ticket:

From http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/articleimages/Saveaway%20Jan%2011.pdf , one of those Conditions reads -

Tickets are not transferable. You may not pass your ticket on to another person once you have started using it.

Misuse may lead to prosecution.

Transferring your Saveaway ticket to another passenger is in breach of the Conditions of Use and, consequently, a contravention of Regulation 7(1)(b) of The Public Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors, Conductors and Passengers) Regulations 1990.

From http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1990/1020/contents/made :

7.—(1) No passenger on a vehicle being used for the carriage of passengers at separate fares shall use any ticket which has–(b)been issued for use by another person on terms that it is not transferable..

Passengers who contravene these Regulations can be prosecuted for an Offence under Section 25(3) of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981. From http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/14 :

25.—(3) Subject to section 68(1) of this Act, if a person contravenes, or fails to comply with, a provision of the Regulations having effect by virtue of this section, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £1000.

There are similar penalties under Section 130 of the Railways Act 1993 for contravening the Conditions of the Saveaway ticket on MerseyRail.

I wouldn't worry about it sweetheart. If you get nicked, a little bit of bribery goes a long way in Britain, especially in Liverpool.

wba31

what can the bus company do though? when at uni i did half days (always mornings) but had to get 2 buses there and 2 buses back, so bought a "daysaver." i would get off the bus by my house at the end of my travelling day (lunchtime) and just offer it to someone for nothing once the bus had gone...

wba31

Tilt wrote: »

The person who the ticket is being passed onto would be avoiding paying his/her fare thus an offence is being comitted under 'obtaning services or goods by deception'. all tickets will have 'not transferable' on them and the ticket in fact is not what is being purchased... it is the right to travel for the person who originally buys the ticket.

but the travel company cant prove anything..! they wont know when the husband gets on/off the bus, or has a ticket checked by an inspector

judywoody

dzug1 wrote: »

That makes it contract law in the absence of anything more specific. You are breaching your contract with the company.

So if there is no specific law that says otherwise, they can just put what they want into their contract!?..oh well..I guess as we have to face an increase in fairs every April I think they can't expect any obedience on my end...:rotfl:

Thanks for all the replies - has made thinks a bit clearer!

judywoody

asbokid wrote: »

HELLO, GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME.

Ahh.. Merseytravel's Saveaway scheme. My favourite.

"Strictly speaking"..

There are Conditions relating to the use of the Saveaway ticket:

From http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/articleimages/Saveaway%20Jan%2011.pdf , one of those Conditions reads -

Transferring your Saveaway ticket to another passenger is in breach of the Conditions of Use and, consequently, a contravention of Regulation 7(1)(b) of The Public Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors, Conductors and Passengers) Regulations 1990.

From http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1990/1020/contents/made :
Passengers who contravene these Regulations can be prosecuted for an Offence under Section 25(3) of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981. From http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/14 :

There are similar penalties under Section 130 of the Railways Act 1993 for contravening the Conditions of the Saveaway ticket on MerseyRail.

I wouldn't worry about it sweetheart. If you get nicked, a little bit of bribery goes a long way in Britain, especially in Liverpool.

Thanks for correcting me :-) You never stop learning....

To be honest, I really had to search for the T&C and found the same ones that you quoted on the internet yesterday. I think if they were really that bothered they would print it all over their tickets. I don't purchase the scratch cards so I don't know what they are saying on the back. I get mine from the rail station and they don't have anything printed on them.

We don't have a car anymore in order to save money but if we want to see my in-laws we have to go over the water to Wallasey and that costs us nearly 10£ by train. We might as well buy a car again.

On the days we don't travel together (which doesn't happen very often) I don't have a conscience issue if I pass on my ticket to my husband.

dzug1

judywoody wrote: »

) I don't have a conscience issue if I pass on my ticket to my husband.

Fine - basically you are dishonest when it suits you. I don't have a problem with that - I do have a problem with you thinking it's 'right'.

Tilt

wba31 wrote: »

but the travel company cant prove anything..! they wont know when the husband gets on/off the bus, or has a ticket checked by an inspector

That wasn't the question being asked. But since you mention it, I agree that it is highly unlikely that any action would be taken unless the 'transfer' is seen by an official. However, I have known passengers give their ticket to another waiting passsenger while getting off the bus right under the nose of the driver who has then withdrawn the ticket and charged the 'new' passenger the appropiate fare.

That driver being me.

mcjordi

i passed my weekly arriva ticket on before when i only used the bus 4 out of the 7 days as it was cheaper to buy a weekly do i feel bad -NO
same applies to PAD car park tickets i pass them on to someone at the machine if i catch them in time always grateful.. again do i feel bad -NO

wba31

Tilt wrote: »

That wasn't the question being asked. But since you mention it, I agree that it is highly unlikely that any action would be taken unless the 'transfer' is seen by an official. However, I have known passengers give their ticket to another waiting passsenger while getting off the bus right under the nose of the driver who has then withdrawn the ticket and charged the 'new' passenger the appropiate fare.

That driver being me.

and that is understandable if you've watched it happen.

Tilt

wba31 wrote: »

and that is understandable if you've watched it happen.

It was a bit sweeter as the 'new' passenger was wearing a baggies shirt! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: