A statistic from Dublin
€10 million: the amount of unclaimed change held by Dublin Bus. It’s collected some €13.3 million since 2001, with “about a quarter” reclaimed each year. It’s putting a percentage of this into a grants scheme, but most of the fund is untouchable because the change tickets are valid indefinitely. The only way to reclaim the cash is by going to the O’Connell St head office. Nice system that. Very handy. How much tourist cash is sitting in that treasure chest?
I suspect that more people would bother to reclaim their refunds if you didn’t have to go to the Dublin Bus offices on O’Connell St. Also the fact that they close at 2 on a Saturday doesn’t help. I am not liable to be out of bed before then.
Comment by DC | February 12, 2008 at 1:44 pmI have a load of those bloody change tickets. I am sure a charity would be happy to take them. Must check that out.
Comment by red mum | February 12, 2008 at 2:23 pmRed Mum - That’s a brilliant idea. Has that been done before?
Comment by Shane | February 12, 2008 at 2:37 pmWhat bewilders me is why they don’t let people use those refund tickets in lieu of fare money on their next bus journeys. I’m sure Dublin Bus would, as ever, say it’d cost too much, though, for some mysterious reason.
Comment by Stellanova | February 12, 2008 at 2:37 pmShane, a few charities have accepted them in the past - I should have mentioned that in my own post. I know Bothar had a campaign asking for tickets last year because I sent them a batch of mine.
Comment by Stellanova | February 12, 2008 at 2:38 pmThe best bit: you can’t find out how much a trip will cost until you’re standing in front of the driver, attempting to figure out your spare change while people in the queue tut-tut behind you.
I’m born and bred in Dublin and this still regularly stumps me. God only knows how the tourists cope…
Comment by Justin | February 12, 2008 at 2:42 pmoh btw — party political broadcast — one of the Labour election promises was to replace all this cack with a flat-rate 1-euron rate everywhere, to encourage more people to use the buses:
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0415/breaking39.htm
Comment by Justin | February 12, 2008 at 2:45 pmNot sure if charities still take them en masse because of the Community Grants scheme they’ve got going. In any case, the change ticket is a daft idea when you cannot use them against the value of the next fare. Why doesn’t the driver just take them back on the next bus you get, it’s just money.!
Comment by 73man | February 12, 2008 at 3:19 pmI have a special pocket in my backpack for them. Every few months I make the effort and bring them in for refund. The last few times I’ve got at least 20 euro back. Last time was 32! That being said, I agree with everything said above.
Comment by Gwen | February 12, 2008 at 3:57 pmI’ve taken to giving my change tickets to beggars! That’s when I even get them… since the base fare went up to €1.05 drivers won’t give out change tickets if you hand over €1.10 or €1.20 unless you stand there giving them filthies.
Comment by Catherine | February 12, 2008 at 4:05 pmErr…because they’re not printed on money quality paper. We’ve all seen the state of the €5 note and that is much better quality paper and printing that the receipt thingy. Can you imagine the state of them when they would be brought back to the station?
A good idea might be a charity box on the bus that you could put them in. With rotating charities benefiting.
I used to collect myself and when I had enough head into town to redeem them and pay for lunch of a Saturday.
Comment by Dan Sullivan | February 12, 2008 at 4:14 pmIt’s like my Da always said, many people in Dublin still believe that C.I.E. is run for the benefit of the public.
Comment by Steve K | February 12, 2008 at 4:48 pm@Dan: screw that charity box idea. I decide when I give money to charity.
Giving them to homeless guys is like saying “I travel on buses, do you homeless man, do you?!” Goading him with your bus travelling abilities.
Comment by 73man | February 12, 2008 at 5:01 pmThe grants thing is quite good.
An organisation I’m involved in has applied for them in the past, and I think we managed to recently pay for new windows on the premises due to the grant.
It’s in a disadvantaged area so any help from sources like this is always welcome.
Comment by cw | February 12, 2008 at 5:22 pm“What bewilders me is why they don’t let people use those refund tickets in lieu of fare money on their next bus journeys.”
Stellar idea. Makes too much sense for Dublin Bus to consider it though.
Comment by David Bowie | February 12, 2008 at 5:37 pm