Cash payments for transport services

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

Shops and services may have to be forced to accept cash in the future to help protect vulnerable people who rely on it, MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) have said.

A Treasury Committee report into cash acceptance stopped short of recommending a change in the law, but said the government had to improve its monitoring of the issue.

"There may come a time in the future where it becomes necessary for HM Treasury to mandate cash acceptance if appropriate safeguards have not been implemented for those who need physical cash," the report said.

Some countries, such as Australia or parts of the EU^» (European Union - about), are planning requirements to accept cash for essential services in some circumstances.

[PhilWakely]

I am surprised at the number of customers who take cash out of a brown envelope to pay for their goods today.

[ChrisB]

Those that refuse cash shouldn't then be allowed to accept it during power outages - either you do or you don't, 100%. No changing to suit....but I voted that everyone should accept cash 100%

[Ralph Ayres]

Those that refuse cash shouldn't then be allowed to accept it during power outages - either you do or you don't, 100%. No changing to suit....but I voted that everyone should accept cash 100%

I suspect that other than very small outlets they would probably throw in the towel and shut up shop anyway.  Their stock control systems and tills would rely on that same power supply, few staff members would be able to add up prices in their head or even on paper, and they probably wouldn't have the capacity to store/bank large volumes of cash.  Then there's the lights and heating/cooling not working and so on.

[GBM]

As a now ex bus driver, most of us hated cash!
Have to pay in the exact amount every night when your shift ends.
A large queue at the paying in machine many times.
On some very popular summer routes, a driver could easily pay in upwards of £500, frequently £750 plus.
Drivers didn't get paid overtime for paying in such amounts.
A few of us claimed!

[Mark A]

Driving the bus, managing the other traffic on the road, managing the public, dealing with cash transactions, handling a float, balancing the books and putting the takings into the system - and all that with little opportunity for physical exercise. One of society's more taxing jobs, and underappreciated too.

Mark

[Witham Bobby]

Cash is important

Whatever your politics, everyone needs to be wary of those who seek to rule.  Maybe you're okay with the present government.  But it needs to be remembered that those we elect, if they were so minded, could introduce digital ID and/or a central bank digital currency.  It would be only a small step from there for a malign government to decide that, for example, you cant travel for more than 15 minutes from your home, or that your carbon allowance has already been used this month and you can't travel at all.

Fanciful?  Conspiracy theorist stuff?  Well, who would have foreseen that, just because Boris Johnson's government (and he one who purported to lean towards individual freedoms) told the nation to stay indoors for months except for "permitted purposes", there was almost universal meek compliance

Cash is important

The government has no right to decide how you should legally spend your legally gained earnings.  Giving up cash yields too much power to authority.

[Red Squirrel]

Isn’t this about whether the Government should compel businesses to accept cash? It’s not the Government that’s killing cash, it’s businesses and their customers.

As GBM points out, handling cash is inconvenient and expensive. The Government may try to protect it, but it may well be a losing battle.

[grahame]

Isn’t this about whether the Government should compel businesses to accept cash?

[snip]

As GBM points out, handling cash is inconvenient and expensive.

I started this as a poll to get a wide range of views.   Undoubtedly cash is messy to handle and yet where I see businesses and their staff grumbling about it, part of me feel "yes - but services should be about what the service user - the customers - wants and needs, and not about the convenience to the staff".  The other part of me sees those extra delay seconds on buses (especially) where the customer joining does a slower cash-and-change transaction and other customer sit patiently waiting.

Question - did I see that on the Valley lines in South Wales, the corner stores near to some (smaller?) stations will sell you a ticket for cash, but it won't be accepted on the tram/train or with machines at the station?

A parallel - for user group(s) - (MTUG^» (Melksham Transport User Group - site), WWRUG^» (West Wiltshire Rail Users Group - about), TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website), etc) should we accept that some members are not online and correspond with them in print rather than through email?  How about people who want to join and can't because of some personal limitation?  How about people who have chosen not to be online? How about people who are taking a principled stand against everything being done through a computer?

No answer from me, here ... I have voted that cash should be accepted though with some exceptions.  And what are those suggestions?   I would suggest journeys that require formal ID - such as Eurostar, and journeys that are made for purely leisure purposes outside the normal transportation needs.   So heritage railways, coach excursions, the runaway mine train at Alton Towers, mail rail, and Great Britain XVII are exempt from accepting cash. 

[LiskeardRich]

As a now ex bus driver, most of us hated cash!
Have to pay in the exact amount every night when your shift ends.
A large queue at the paying in machine many times.
On some very popular summer routes, a driver could easily pay in upwards of £500, frequently £750 plus.
Drivers didn't get paid overtime for paying in such amounts.
A few of us claimed!

They do where I am now, we can claim to the time printed on our paying in receipt. I only bother if it’s over a certain number of minutes late. It isn’t worth messing around for 1-2 minutes, especially as another day I could have a quick escape and get home a few minutes early. I run a tally in my head and know I roughly break even over a month if I didn’t claim until I hit my figure of lateness.

We can go days without seeing any cash on the main service I drive, then have a shift with loads of cash. Funny old world. Unpredictable.