Bus drivers now checking tickets after 9pm

According to Linie 8, the MVG's official magazine, starting after the Wiesn bus drivers will be checking your ticket after 9 pm. You can board the bus by the front door only and must either show or purchase a ticket - or walk.
Dunno how they are going to stop ppl from boarding via the back door unless it stays closed and you have to leave via the front door as well. Forget any schedule then, 1/2 boarding/leaving space means 2x boarding/leaving time.
Has anyone experienced this yet? The bus drivers are not happy about it at all.

They've had this system in place in Hamburg for years...

i once had a bus driver at Munchner Freiheit check everyone who entered the bus just before it took off...

There's been signs up on the bus since i've been here (14 years) that after 20:00 you must enter at the front of the bus and show the driver your ticket - no one ever does though...

Strange, isn't it? They used to give me weird looks when I showed them my ticket. Anyway, they say they are starting this around now, so be warned.

makes sense to me. during the day it probably takes too much time though

Drivers aren't happy as it is extra work for them. But I guess that the ammount of ticketless travel on buses at night is quite high, particuarly around some of the big estates.

In Berlin, they allowed commuters, only after showing / purchasing the tickets.
Checking is fine, if its worth it, though additional burden on the drivers.

Signs of Toytown becoming a normal town?

Judging by recent posts on this board this is something many posters will be extremely happy about.

so does this mean drivers will actually sell tickets? (like they do in Stuttgart where I used to live) or will you have to buy it from the machine behind him?.. - which doesn't make much sense because you must walk past him to do that -

Well put, borra, that's one of the things they are not happy about. Not to mention a pulk of snotty teenagers getting in and refusing to show tickets or pay up. Not a very convincing plan on MVG's side.

I swear I saw in the paper a few weeks ago, that a Munich brewerey will also be serving at WM2006.. Anybody got more on this?? If I remember correctly, not many Baverians liked the idea of bitburger either and put-up an fuss, and AB/somebody gave in and allowed Weisebeer from one of the local brewers..

As for the ticket checking.. I've always been checked after 2000 when getting on a bus.. They usually keep the back doors closed (Outside button turned off)

No. No manual ticket sales on MVG vehicles, you have to use the machine.

I noticed that the monitor at my local stop which shows the next due arrival of trams and buses are also showing a notice about this new rule, valid starting 10/10/05.

its going to be strict from the 10th onwards. you wont be able to enter. i normally use a stifenkarte after zone 3 and i dont know how they exkpect us to stamp and then come back to the driver.

If you go to the machine and they hear a ticket being issued or the striefenkarte machine going "ching" that will be enough.

How am I supposed to get on the bus by the front door with my pram after 9 PM? Anyone seen anything about that?

How about when the front doors open, you smile and wave at the driver, and gesture for him to open the middle/back doors, or if you can speak German then say something like 'Mein Kinderwagen passt durch diesen Tueren nicht, kann ich hinten einsteigen?'

Thanks, UrbanAngel. I suppose they will have to open the back doors to let people out anyway. Maybe they will just have to trust that people with prams have a ticket, or deal with me waving mine from afar! Never mind that they won't be able to read it.

Will find out soon enough ...

No they won't.

The current system of trust is costing more than €17M in unpaid fares annually. This is based not on guesses but on rider surveys which include passenger counts and direct questionnaires versus ticket sales.

You will be allowed to board but the bus won't move until you walk up to the front of the bus with your valid ticket. It's been like that since at least 1993 in Regensburg, and starting at 8:00p.m.

Bus drivers have always had the option of checking tickets at their discretion; now it's mandatory. Good.

woof.

Follow up:
Did anyone enjoyed the privilege of ticket check after 9 m.?

Following are my observations:
1. Buses turned up late in time 6 - 8 minutes yesterday evening. (Hope this would get sorted out over time)
2. Drivers had to explain that Tickets would be checked after 9 pm. (Lack of Information / Awareness)
3. Incidentally, found more people buy tickets at the vending machines. Otherwise, have never seen as many people buy tickets. (Good thing to happen)

At a moral level, this seems a bit unusual for Munich. But considering the socio-economical impact the action should be appreciated.

If this is just an sample, for a journey of 30 min in a single trip, I am sure MVV must have lost a lot of money all these days.

A MVV employee told that this practice was existing for the past 20 years, though no one followed it. Strict steps by the Management to prevent Ticketless travel.

I've been on the bus from Garching Hochbruk to Garching late in the evening Friday-Monday and not been checked once so far...

It only came into force yesterday, I believe

Yes from 10.10.2005 - 9 PM

Yesterday night 9:15 (bus was on time) at Geising. I deliberately tried boarding from the rear entrance. 2 guys with a MVG logo on their tops appear and advice me to take the entrance from the front. The driver checked the ticket too. They were even making sure people buy the tickets from the machine and were also looking around for people using strifen karte. So I guess its official. But I just wonder how long will 3 people man a single bus? Hope it does not prove to be an expansive affair for MVG

Another good reason to have the Isar card abbo. Never have to worry about bus fare.

I got controlled Mon. evening at about 11.00p.m. You had to go in the front door as the rear doors weren't open. Driver was strict about checking everyone's ticket but can't imagine it'll last long as it's too time consuming and as someone already pointed out, the timetable will be f*****. This rule was always in place as far as I know but it was never enforced - will be the same story this time.

As people get used to showing their tickets, things will speed up.

I boarded a bus late last night and knowing this was in force, waited at the front with my ticket in hand. Only 1 other out of about 10 people also boarded at the front. Everyone else wasted time at the rear doors and then wasted time getting tickets out of their bags, pockets, etc...

In time, people will be more prepared when buses arrive. It's no big deal.

I would like to wait and see, if this will be followed religiously.
Yesterday, everyone was prepared to show the tickets. But the driver had other jobs to do.

I expect you meant "expEnsive", and having extra people out to ensure pax have tickets comes nowhere close to the €17 million in annual losses due to fare dodgers.


They've always done it in Regensburg, a city which only has buses for public transport, and starting at 8:00p.m. I expect the MVV/MVG will add signs outside the rear doors telling you to go to the front after 21:00.

woof.

It was being enforced last night on the 52 bus from Marienplatz, by the driver on his own. He was extremely friendly, taking the time to explain to people to come to the front and carefully checking all tickets. He used the speaker system for those who kept pushing the button at the back doors to get in. He did not let anyone out of the bus until the onboarding passengers came to the front door which got an old lady worked up as she wanted to get off with her trolley.

It didn't take a lot longer than usual, and I expect as people become used to it they will have their tickets ready earlier and speeding up the process. Its a good question about how it will be handled with the prams at the back doors, but given there are very few at that time of night, and it isn't crowded either I am sure it can be worked out with the drivers.

I actually thought it was nice to see the driver being friendly and interacting with the passengers, instead of the grumpy demeanour that we usually confronted with.

I guess due to this the 52 was late last night and I was gagging for a pint.

Anyway, the IsarCards and such aren't very robust cos you usually don't need to "use" them iykwim. Will they stand up to being pulled out of wallets etc all the time and being flashed?

Presumably that's why they give you a nice little wallet thing to store it in. Mine lasted nearly 6 years until I chucked it after getting the "Abo".

@ Chelle1: I find the drivers appreciate a "good morning" as you get on the bus, if you get on in front in the morning as I always do. Instant decrease in grumpiness has been observed.

On Monday after the Arc pub quiz I went home on bus 54 from Munchener Freiheit (about 11:30pm) and had to go in at the front of the bus. Everyone was asked for their ticket and the guy in front of me had to get change for his 5 euro note to use the dispensing machine.

More interesting was that last night after work I was asked some questions in a survey of bus users (also on the 54). Fortunately the person spoke very good English, as I've only been here 6 weeks. They just wanted to know where I was travelling, what ticket I had and how often I used it.

So far I've only been asked for a ticket on the 54 bus (three times since I arrived).

I saw a lady with a stroller waiting at the back door as we were getting off the bus via the front door. We had been advised through the intercom that the front door only was to be used. After all the people got off/on the back door opened and he let the lady on in the back, so I highly doubt that the back door button is 'turned off'. I don't know about any intercom for the outside of the bus to tell people to get in at the front. (is an outer intercom called an outercom? )

The man also asked for our ticket when we boarded and we went to the machine and fumbled in our pockets for one stop because we had no change- but because of the change in protocol and the alcohol we had already consumed, we actually forgot about our daily passes in our pockets.

Our driver turned off the light in the entry area right after we got on and couldn't make out if my Isarcard was valid or not. Stooopid.

Again, last three nights I've been home after nine and not been stopped getting on at the back of the bus in Garching. But I suppose that since we're being picked up from the ubahn stop they probably assume it's someone else's problem.

Has the ticket checking after 9 pm showed any change in revenue for MVV? Anyone have a clue?

Dunno but I had my driving licence taken off me for a month yesterday so I might be finding out soon!