Cash is now no longer accepted on London buses which will see a £24 million profit maximisation.

The change comes due to less and less passengers paying with cash on London buses.

Transport for London research showed that 99% of their customers were using cashless payment methods such as Oyster cards, prepaid tickets, contact-less payment cards and concessionary tickets.

This means that any passengers travelling on London’s buses will need to use one of these payment options otherwise they will not be able to travel. However last month the ‘one more journey’ feature for Oyster users was introduced which allows passengers to make one more journey if they have insufficient funds on their Oyster card.

Mike Weston, Director of Buses at Transport for London said: “The way our customers pay for goods and services is evolving, so we need to ensure our ticketing process evolves too”.

He then went on to say “Removing cash from our bus network not only offers customers a more efficient bus service but it enables us to make savings of £24 million a year which will be re-invested to further improve London’s transport network”.

Although there are question marks surrounding the new change. Green Party London Assembly member Darren Johnson highlights what would happen to passengers who have lost or had their Oyster cards stolen and if they would be allowed to travel or not. This comes after more than 2,100 Oyster cards were lost, stolen or had stopped working on the average day last year.

Darren Johnson said: “I am very concerned that Transport for London are only planning 19 new Oyster ticket stops in preparation for the cashless switch-over. This seems highly inadequate, especially when every ticket office across the tube network is going to be closed. I have serious concerns about the impact of which this sweeping change would have on vulnerable passengers”.

Due to this drivers have been issued refreshed guidance on how to deal with vulnerable passengers.

We at Bus and Coach insurance offer very competitive bus and coach insurance prices so for a quick quote call our specialist team today on 0800 980 3425

If you’re a coach or bus driver you would probably know by now that many people probably assume your profession is very dull. But what if here at County Insurance we could make them change their mind?

It has come to our attention that many famous people from not only this country but from around the world travel via coach or bus. It can be all types of profession and of course they would travel in style. So if you told your friends that you meet celebrities daily would they think it’s such a dull profession after all?

So what profession and people use coaches?

Nearly every football team in the country uses coaches to get to various locations. These locations include places such as airports if they need to travel abroad, to get to and from a opposition stadium or possibly a hotel depending on whether a team is staying overnight.   

Many other sport clubs like rugby and cricket will also do the same, epically at international level as they would have to travel to different venues over the world and with club level to travel around the country.

It’s not just sporting people that use coaches other professions like musicians and singers will use their own personal coaches to travel across the country or the airport to perform all across the world.  

We at Bus and Coach insurance offer very competitive bus and coach insurance prices so for a quick quote call our specialist team today on 0800 980 3425

Some interesting statistics regarding the bus and coach sector provided by VOSA, as at 1^st April 2013:

9475 Passenger Operator Licences are now in place.

95968 Passenger vehicles are currently licensed.

5924 S19 & S22 Permits are operating.

20625 local bus route registrations.

117 Public Inquiries into new passenger Operator Licence applications.

180 Public Inquiries for non-compliance.

11 Public Inquiries into bus punctuality/reliability.

DVSA

It has now been announced that DVSA (Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency) will begin operating in April 2014, following the merger of Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).

The DVSA prime responsibilities will be setting, testing and enforcing driver and vehicle standards in GB.

In Northern Ireland this role is performed by the Driver & Vehicle Agency.

If you are interested in obtaining a quotation for your insurance requirements, be it for a single vehicle or a fleet of vehicles, please call Steve Halliday on 07875 743 271 or alternatively leave your contact details on this website (using quotation page or contact us page)

We can provide quotes and policies for your vehicle insurance, liability insurance, excess protection, breakdown and glass cover so why not give us a try and see if we can help you save on your insurance costs.

Finally, Steve Halliday and his team at BusandCoachInsurance.net wish you all a very Happy and Safe Christmas.

Busandcoachinsurance.net is one of the leading public service vehicle (PSV) insurance brokers in the UK. We provide cover for all types of PSV’s whether they are used privately or commercially and this includes family minibuses!

Our insurance specialists know that a minibus can be a very versatile vehicle for private individuals, particularly if you have a large family or group of friends who all like to travel together.

Our private minibus insurance packages have been designed specifically for this type of use. The benefits include;

• 24 hour claims helpline – open 365 days of the year!
• Competitive prices
• Experienced UK based team
• Optional Breakdown and Recovery Assistance
• Flexible payment options
• Fast document turnaround

For a family minibus insurance quote Freephone 0800 980 3425. Lines are open 9am-5.30pm, Mon-Fri.

If you purchase your family minibus insurance from us you will also be entitled to 10% off on a wide range of other policies including CAR, VAN and HOME insurance.* Just visit our sister company online at insurance4ur.co.uk. *T’s & C’s apply.

Busandcoachinsurance.net  can reveal  that bus passengers in London are now able pay for travel using a contactless credit, debit or charge cards-as well as their cash and oyster cards!

Providing it was issued in the UK, commuters who have ‘contactless’ symbol displayed on their card (pictured right) can now purchase a single ticket without the need to enter it into machine.

The new process has proved to be extremely efficient and more convenient for passengers and bus drivers alike. Customers are simply required to touch their card flat on the yellow reader as they board the bus-exactly the same as with an Oyster card. This has obviously eliminated the need for drawing out cash, counting change and entering pin numbers etc.

The only problems that have occurred so far includes customers putting their entire wallet or purse before the scanner. If they have two cards with this facility available then either both get rejected or it is possible they could even be charged twice!

Some cards that have been updated with the contactless payment ability also may not have the symbol. However, card providers normally inform their customers on issue and upgrading is usually possible.

Our bus and coach insurance team are always pleased to hear about things that make the life of our policy holders a little easier! We also aim to keep you updated with the latest news relevant to the industry.

For advice regarding your minibus, bus or coach insurance freephone 0800 980 3425. We are always happy to help!