Background
The Stagecoach network in Southern Britain is made up of a
number of local companies. For example, Stagecoach services
around Milton Keynes are provided by Stagecoach East. Services in
Oxford are provided by Stagecoach Oxfordshire. Each company sets
its own ticket prices and may accept other Stagecoach
company tickets even though they may have been sold at a different price.
For many years Stagecoach sold one-day Explorer tickets
and longer period Goldrider tickets that were valid not just on local
routes but right across its bus network in Southern Britain (with a few
exceptions).
Internet Sales
During 2008 Stagecoach was keen to introduce more online ticket sales. It
launched a website to sell period tickets on behalf of
all its local companies.
Unfortunately selling these tickets online presents a new problem.
Given that each local company sets its own price, there is nothing to stop a
customer buying online from the cheapest company and then using the
ticket somewhere else in Southern Britain. This could result in
companies with the cheapest tickets receiving more than their fair share
of the online revenue.
Geographical Changes
To avoid the problem of customers living in a more expensive area
(e.g. Northampton) buying online from a cheaper area (e.g. South Wales),
Stagecoach decided to redesign its ticket range.
From 2008 its Goldrider period passes were no longer valid across
Southern Britain. Instead each Stagecoach company issued a
ticket valid on on its services and perhaps some neighbouring routes.
In the interests of simplicity it was thought a good idea to align
day ticket validities with period passes. Therefore it was planned that
Explorer tickets would no longer be valid across Southern Britain.
Re-think
Fortunately there was a subsequent re-think and it was agreed that Explorer day tickets
should continue to be valid across
Southern Britain - subject to a few exceptions.
Other Changes
The re-vamp of the ticket range was accompanied by changes to the
names of some ticket types. In particular, the one day Explorer was re-named Dayrider Gold. As indicated in the previous paragraph, the
Dayrider Gold (Explorer) is valid across Southern Britain except in
Devon and excluding the Oxford to London Express service. Premium fares
are charged on the X5 service (Oxford to Cambridge), any passenger
carrying an ordinary Explorer or Dayrider Gold ticket is required
to pay a £1.10 supplement on the X5.
The period Goldrider ticket was renamed Megarider Gold and was no
longer generally
valid across Southern Britain.
Due to escalating fuel costs during early 2008, many Stagecoach companies
chose to increase fares alongside these changes. A case of less for
more.
Complications
So what are the areas covered by the new Megarider Gold period
tickets?
According to the Stagecoach Megarider website, a Stagecoach
East Megarider Gold is only valid on the buses of Stagecoach East.
This is likely to be confusing for passengers as most Stagecoach
buses have the same livery whether operating in Perth or Plymouth - so
it is no good simply looking at the bus. And it is often not at all
obvious which company operates which route. For example, the X5 bus from Oxford to
Cambridge via Milton Keynes is not operated by Stagecoach Oxfordshire
nor is it operated by Stagecoach Cambridge, in fact it is
operated by Stagecoach East.
Stagecoach East have advised that Stagecoach East
Megarider Gold tickets are also accepted by Stagecoach in
Warwickshire and Stagecoach in Cambridge.
Note that a 4 week
Southern Britain pass is sold online (not on the bus). It
is not available for periods shorter than 4 weeks.