Why doesn't Aircoach accept Leap card?

MrMorooka

Just wondering. I'm going to the airport tomorrow and a-b.ie suggests using the 700, and I realised it doesn't accept Leap, so I'll get a 747 as it's easier.

howiya

Out of curiousity is the 747 fare any cheaper on the leap card? Great value as it is but have never used my leap card on it

LXFlyer

MrMorooka wrote: »

Just wondering. I'm going to the airport tomorrow and a-b.ie suggests using the 700, and I realised it doesn't accept Leap, so I'll get a 747 as it's easier.

It's a private company operating a commercial service.

It's under no obligation to do so.

FionnK86

Very few Private Operators use Leap Card tech. It's expensive to set up i'd imagine, lots of places to go wrong and you're depending on government funds.

https://about.leapcard.ie/private-operators

Same situation with Dublin Coach with the Travel Pass, you can use the pass on older services, but now the government won't fund the pass on the newer services.

coylemj

They would have to install card readers on all their buses, they would also have to setup an IT system to charge based on pickup point (to the airport) or destination (from the airport). They would still have to pay people to man the stands at T1 and T2 to handle tourists (all paying cash) and their drivers would still need to take cash from people boarding at stops heading to the airport so I can't see that the Leap system would make any sense given the expense of setting it up and the practically zero financial benefit to them.

Aircoach don't sell tickets through third parties, you pay them for your ticket and they get to keep all of the money so there is no commercial reason why they should sign up to Leap.

MrMorooka

lxflyer wrote: »

It's a private company operating a commercial service.

It's under no obligation to do so.

Fair enough. I think the NTA should change the contract so that transport operators have to accept it, otherwise Leap is not much of an integrated solution.

I accept the arguments about cost of setup etc, but, really, that should just be a cost of doing business and getting the contract/license with the NTA.

LXFlyer

MrMorooka wrote: »

Fair enough. I think the NTA should change the contract so that transport operators have to accept it, otherwise Leap is not much of an integrated solution.

I accept the arguments about cost of setup etc, but, really, that should just be a cost of doing business and getting the contract/license with the NTA.

Why though?

LEAP is primarily for PSO services - you can't force a private commercial operator to join in - that has to be voluntary.

MrMorooka

lxflyer wrote: »

Why though?

LEAP is primarily for PSO services - you can't force a private commercial operator to join in - that has to be voluntary.

I suppose I don't have any good reasons. It just seems an oddity, you can plan journeys through the NTA's planner, but you can't pay for it all with a single integrated solution. I've got the answer to my thread question though- Leap is only required to be implemented by the operator if it's the more complex PSO contract.

devnull

MrMorooka wrote: »

Fair enough. I think the NTA should change the contract so that transport operators have to accept it, otherwise Leap is not much of an integrated solution.

I accept the arguments about cost of setup etc, but, really, that should just be a cost of doing business and getting the contract/license with the NTA.

The private operators already have a lot more costs that the state operators don't have, anyone who is receiving any funding from the government to run public transport services the NTA should always force to use leap though, but Aircoach are fully self funded.

I would expect them to add leap technology in any future ticket machine replacement cycle in the future, when they feel the current system no longer suits their needs, but they won't just buy new ticket machines just to add leap, but when the equipment comes up for renewal I would expect it would be a consideration.

Incidentally Aircoach uses the same ticket machines as Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann, they just bought them before the Smart Card reader option was available on this machine, unlike Dublin Bus who bought them a little later when such option was.

MrMorooka wrote: »

I suppose I don't have any good reasons. It just seems an oddity, you can plan journeys through the NTA's planner, but you can't pay for it all with a single integrated solution. I've got the answer to my thread question though- Leap is only required to be implemented by the operator if it's the more complex PSO contract.

PSO contracts get huge amounts of public funding, and the operators operating such contracts in almost all cases are provided a number of materials, including vehicles for free. The PSO companies are not having to pay for most things but the privates would have to.

Carawaystick

lxflyer wrote: »

Why though?

LEAP is primarily for PSO services - you can't force a private commercial operator to join in - that has to be voluntary.

There are lots of mandatory requirements forced on public transport operators. And many private sector public transport operators in Dublin take leap.

Last Passive Ltd (trading as Aircoach ) licenses are up for renewal on Halloween so we'll see then.

The conditions to grant a license are set out in

Public transport regulation Act
2009)
10.
(1) In considering an application for the grant of a licence
the Authority, having regard to the general objectives
established under section 10 of the Act of 2008—

(b) save where the application is in respect of a category
of licence where the Authority deems it not to be
appropriate, shall take account of any or all of the
following:
(i) the need to provide a well-functioning, attractive,
competitive, integrated and safe public transport
system of services and networks for all users