Ticket inspectors

[Russel]

Do operators such as Arriva/First/Stagecoach still employ ticket inspectors?

If the do, how many per area are generally employed and how often are they out performing revenue protection duties?

In London and Birmingham, it seems to be common to encounter an inspector checking tickets, but outside of these areas, I can't recall the last time I saw one.

 

[EnviroExplorer]

Stagecoach certainly do have them though I’m not sure how many or how often they can be typically seen - in the last few years I’ve only encountered their inspectors once on the outskirts of Barnsley.

Here in Birmingham the inspectors are quite a frequent sight as you’ve said, albeit they cover Coventry as well.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

The only time I've encountered a ticket inspector in recent years was when one boarded the Stagecoach bus I was on at a rather rural bus stop near Midhurst.

Quizzed the driver about the bus and then went around checking tickets and enforcing face mask wearing (as this was during COVID).

He only travelled the one stop and then got off at an even more rural bus stop than the one he boarded at.

 

[F262YTJ]

I know Arriva in Merseyside and the North West disbanded theirs about 3 years ago. They rely on covert investigators now mainly for errant staff. Passenger fraud its rife especially with the Merseytravel My Ticket which is supposed to be for youngsters up until their 19th birthday - I often challenges people in their 30s and 40s who had been sold one!

Disbanding the revenue protection team to me is like cutting the hand off that feeds you.

 

[ricoblade]

A group of 3 First inspectors/revenue protection got on a 97/98 I was on in Sheffield the other week and checked all tickets before letting us depart.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I've never see a ticket inspection on a bus in person, I've always just seen it up to the driver to check as people get on.
Only time I've seen any are in that series about TfL fare evasion.

 

[markymark2000]

I know one Stagecoach area employed 1 revenue protection inspector. They couldn't do anything though as company rules said there had to be 2 staff for protection so the 1 person was basically put into a lovely cushy job where they actually couldn't do anything.

I've seen inspectors once though in the past 5 years and that was in Birmingham, just before Digbeth Coach Station. I got the feeling that it was a common hotspot as they got a few people off the bus.

 

[skyhigh]

About 15 years ago on our local routes we had a inspectors board twice a year or so. They weren't overly fussed about passengers though, they were there to check the driver wasn't fiddling the fares.

The local authority also used to carry out random surveys. The company were reimbursed on a per-passenger basis for OAP passes and got caught out for registering a large number of 'phantom' pass holders. This was in the days before RFID passes so the driver just pressed a button on the ticket machine when shown a pass.

 

[blueberry11]

This is why you do not bin your ticket (at the used ticket bin) until you reach your stop. I don't think inspectors will be waiting at bus stops anyway. I have seen a few people do so. Some do not even take the ticket after payment and the driver allowed it. I used to travel on the buses at least twice a week because of college and have never been asked to show my ticket since then. It's the drivers responsibility to make sure everyone over 5 has a ticket anyway. I'm sure some action will be taken if the driver allowed passengers to travel for free for no good reason as it would cost a lot.

 

[Fundee on Tay]

Stagecoach East Scotland certainly have a few inspectors. I’d never been stopped by an inspector before in my life until this year, when an inspector boarded a Dundee & Perth bound X7 at Ethiebeaton. Few weeks after and one boarded an Aberdeen bound X7 at Stonehaven. Seen a few in Dundee city centre too (both Stagecoach and McGill’s). Must be ramping up vigilance of fare evasion.

 

[1D54]

Stagecoach on the couple of routes they have out of Leicester have known to be checked. Nothing on Arriva Midlands for me in the last 20 years.

 

[Simon75]

This was the original thread on the subject (mabe could be merged by the mods )

Inspectors on Buses

Outside TFL land, are they many operators that a have Inspectors (or eqivilate) checking tickets/passes?

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Mwanesh]

Inspectors are there as posted above if there is one they just stay in the depot doing other duties. Checking drivers when they leave the yard or when they come back. I had a few run ins with inspectors who wanted to book me when I returned to the depot not wearing a tie

 

[JD2168]

First South Yorkshire have them now at both Sheffield & Doncaster.