Student Travelcards: Something I've always wondered

Rothmans · 14-01-2012 1:37pm #1

I'm a frequent lurker of this forum, but I don't think I've made any posts in it before, but I have this niggling question that I've never understood.

BÉ, IÉ and DB are all part of CIE. However, with regard to the student travelcard, why is it that you are required to buy one for IÉ and DB, whilst, for BÉ you don't actually need to have a travelcard, and a student id will suffice. I've never understood it.
I understand the logic as put forward on this forum in countless other threads, for the travelcards, that if you dropped out of college halfway through the year and then tried to get student prices for the rest of the year instead of adult prices etc.

But why is this not the case with BÉ, (or any privately owned transport providers for that matter). In fact in all my 3 years, travelling as a student, I've never been asked even for a student card when travelling by coach, save the one exception, where the driver asked if I had a student card. In this case, I reached into my pocket to get the student card, but he said its grand, he didn't actually look to see that I had it, just asked if I did.

So does anyone here know why this is the case, or even have any idea as to why?

foggy_lad · 14-01-2012 5:04pm

Rothmans wrote: »

I'm a frequent lurker of this forum, but I don't think I've made any posts in it before, but I have this niggling question that I've never understood.

BÉ, IÉ and DB are all part of CIE. However, with regard to the student travelcard, why is it that you are required to buy one for IÉ and DB, whilst, for BÉ you don't actually need to have a travelcard, and a student id will suffice. I've never understood it.
I understand the logic as put forward on this forum in countless other threads, for the travelcards, that if you dropped out of college halfway through the year and then tried to get student prices for the rest of the year instead of adult prices etc.

But why is this not the case with BÉ, (or any privately owned transport providers for that matter). In fact in all my 3 years, travelling as a student, I've never been asked even for a student card when travelling by coach, save the one exception, where the driver asked if I had a student card. In this case, I reached into my pocket to get the student card, but he said its grand, he didn't actually look to see that I had it, just asked if I did.

So does anyone here know why this is the case, or even have any idea as to why?

Afaik Bus Eireann used to insist on the same travel card but just relaxed the requirement during the boom years, they might go back to checking all students have the correct ticket and id in future but it is not very likely.

etchyed · 14-01-2012 5:07pm

Irish Rail, Dublin Bus and Luas all have prepaid tickets for students (e.g. Student 30 day rambler, 1 month Bus and Luas etc). All of these tickets require that you write your Student Travelcard number on the prepaid ticket so that they can only be used together. This ensures that you can't lend your ticket to a friend if you happen not to be travelling on a particular day.

You could argue that the Student Travelcard isn't necessary and that students could just write the student number from their college on the prepaid ticket. However this would be a little bit messier to administer and the Student Travelcard provides consistency. I'd imagine it's also a bit of a moneyspinner for CIÉ, who are paid by a private company for the right to issue the cards.

Bus Éireann don't really have any student prepaid tickets of the sort that the other companies do, the closest thing I can think of would be a 10-journey, and this is not as open to abuse as, say, a 30-day ticket. Therefore they don't require tickets to be linked to the ticket-holder in the manner that DB, IÉ and Luas do.

Also, I don't know what buses you've been travelling on but I've almost always been asked for a student card when travelling on BÉ.

L1011 · 14-01-2012 9:11pm

Do BÉ require an Irish student card or any ISIC card?

I've got a fully valid, legitimate and real UK ISIC card but I can't get a DB/IE travelcard...

(that said, I last used BE in late 2008!)

lucernarian · 15-01-2012 8:19pm

In essence, is the question "why is there a specially-bought travelcard rather than using a 3rd-level-institution-issued card which has an expiry date and a photo of the bearer?"

noelfirl · 15-01-2012 8:46pm

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

In essence, is the question "why is there a specially-bought travelcard rather than using a 3rd-level-institution-issued card which has an expiry date and a photo of the bearer?"

Not quite so clear cut, UCD at least no longer put expiry dates on their cards, or renew them yearly.

I was under the impression that the student travelcard was brought in so that drivers/inspectors wouldn't have to be able to recognise and authenticate student cards from every third level instituition, but as Bus Eireann continue to accept normal student identifications that's obviously not the case.

The Maverick · 15-01-2012 8:51pm

Beaten by the above post. I imagine it's also seen as a handy way to generate an extra €10 or whatever it costs now.

lucernarian · 15-01-2012 9:35pm

noelfirl wrote: »

Not quite so clear cut, UCD at least no longer put expiry dates on their cards, or renew them yearly.

I was under the impression that the student travelcard was brought in so that drivers/inspectors wouldn't have to be able to recognise and authenticate student cards from every third level instituition, but as Bus Eireann continue to accept normal student identifications that's obviously not the case.

I am aware of that, that's precisely why I mentioned using "student cards which have the expiry date on them". If the cards don't have an expiry date then it's a different set of circumstances and it's up to their SU and college authorities to sort out I say. The rest of second level and third level students shouldn't necesarily have to lose out if UCD don't play ball.

yer man! · 15-01-2012 9:42pm

A lot of colleges are doing this now, get card in first year and keep if for the whole course, some places won't take them anymore for student discount, really annoying.

Rothmans · 17-01-2012 7:32pm

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

I am aware of that, that's precisely why I mentioned using "student cards which have the expiry date on them". If the cards don't have an expiry date then it's a different set of circumstances and it's up to their SU and college authorities to sort out I say. The rest of second level and third level students shouldn't necesarily have to lose out if UCD don't play ball.

Yes, but his points still stands as BE do accept UCD student cards

icdg · 17-01-2012 9:03pm

MYOB wrote: »

Do BÉ require an Irish student card or any ISIC card?

I've got a fully valid, legitimate and real UK ISIC card but I can't get a DB/IE travelcard...

(that said, I last used BE in late 2008!)

Back in the 1990s it was always the ISIC card with Student Travelsave Stamp that CIE wanted. The Travelsave stamp nearly doubled the price of the card (from about £7 to £15) but as I recall nearly everybody who was a full time third level student bought it.

I think CIE's decision to change from the ISIC to Student Travelcard essentially killed off the ISIC (or most student's main reason for getting one) and may also have contributed to (although was by no means the main reason for) USIT's financial troubles around the same time.

dowlingm · 18-01-2012 11:05pm

Maybe someone should ask the NTA to put a student ID in place which is valid nationwide on all companies which sign PSO contracts where discounts are offered.

etchyed · 18-01-2012 11:53pm

dowlingm wrote: »

Maybe someone should ask the NTA to put a student ID in place which is valid nationwide on all companies which sign PSO contracts where discounts are offered.

Student Leap. Already happening.

lucernarian · 19-01-2012 1:50am

Rothmans wrote: »

Yes, but his points still stands as BE do accept UCD student cards

I'm not sure which point you're referring to. From what I can see, I was agreeing with the points noelfirl made. It's not really taxing on a driver to check the expiry date of a student ID card even if the cards are not standardised so I agree, if BE can do it then there shouldn't be a problem.

And assuming BE still officially accept regular student cards (they were in September for me), it's their own business if they want to run the risk of giving student discounts to travellers who have already left college. If they changed this policy to one of accepting cards with an expiry date, then it would be a matter for the colleges to introduce an expiry date on their cards or else leave students with no option but to pay the €15*. An unfortunate dilemma but one for colleges themselves to sort out.

I think my point about college ID cards having a date was misunderstood. If the rest of CIE reverted to using an approach where any student card with a printed expiry date was accepted, the student travelcard wouldn't really be necessary. If UCD's student cards didn't have an expiry date, it would be up to Belfield's administration to sort that out.

Student Travelcards: Something I've always wondered

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