Metro conductors shift to enforcement roles

National World - LocalTV

Midlands Metro passengers will need to buy tickets before boarding as new machines go live across the network. The change is designed to cut down on fare evasion, with conductors shifting to enforcement roles. How do commuters feel about the update?

Transcript

00:00Midlands Metro passengers are used to buying tickets from conductors on the tram, but that's

00:07now changing. From now on, all tickets must be brought before boarding, using machines

00:12at every stop. The aim is to speed up journeys and cut down on fare dodging, which has been

00:17a problem, especially during busy periods. Travel for West Midlands says this move brings

00:23the Metro in line with other tram networks, making things fairer and more efficient. Conductors

00:28won't disappear, but will focus on checking tickets instead. Some passengers may welcome

00:33the change, seeing it as a step towards a smoother service, but others might find it

00:39inconvenient, especially those who are used to paying on board. The Metro says staff will

00:44be around to help people adjust, but for those who rely on conductors, this is a big shift.

00:50So what do passengers think?

00:53No problem. It's been used for lots of years. I don't see what the difference is. The only

00:59problem that's going to end up is they're going to get vandalised.

01:03I still think you should be able to buy them on the tram. Because if you're, say if a tram's

01:08coming now and I'm here, I'd better go and rush to a ticket machine and get in. You're

01:14probably going to miss a few trams, but I can see why they're doing it.

01:18It doesn't really apply to us. We're pensioners. So all we worry about is they're going to

01:23take off the passes off us, aren't we? But before, when it first was introduced and you

01:31had to buy a ticket, there was no conductors. And most of the time, either the machines

01:36were broken or people just didn't bother paying. They lost a lot of money that way.

01:41Metro bosses believe this change will make things fairer for paying passengers. Instead

01:46of conductors selling tickets, they'll now be making sure everyone has one, cutting

01:51down on people riding for free. Some say this will improve the system, making

01:56boarding quicker, but others worry about confusion, especially for those unfamiliar with the machines.

02:03Travel for West Midlands says alternative payment options like the My Metro app and

02:07Swift cards remain available, so passengers still have some flexibility. But what about

02:12those who aren't comfortable with ticket machines or digital payments?

02:18I think it would be more difficult, to be honest. I mean, if I'm already getting late

02:23and I have to buy a ticket beforehand as well, it's just going to make me even more late,

02:27to be honest. It's a bit inconvenient for me, I think.

02:30Most of these boxes don't work. That's why I wait to get the thing on when they come

02:37around on the train. According to me, it's like a more smoother

02:40because before getting a tram, it's going to be easy for you to buy a ticket online

02:44as per whatever you want. If you just want a single or the bike, or whenever you're going,

02:50if I talk about myself, I'm just coming from the Wolverhampton to Wiltshire, so I just

02:54want a ticket from there. So that's a good option.

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