'They think they are saving money by cutting conductors': West Midlands tram passengers react to ticket machines

The newly installed machines had been installed and tested at each of the 33 stops of the Midlands Metro network, which runs between Edgbaston Village and Wolverhampton Station and passes through Sandwell, and were officially activated on Wednesday.

It means that anyone looking to ride on the Metro will be required to buy a ticket from the machine prior to boarding, which is a change from the current system.

Previously, people were able to get on board a tram and buy their tickets from a conductor, but the system was found to have flaws as some passengers were able to complete their journeys without paying a fare, especially at peak times when the Metro was full.

The new scheme, entitled "Buy Before You Board", was first approved in 2019 and had left questions being asked about the future of the ticket conductors, who have been a regular feature on the Metro since its launch in 1999.

However, it was confirmed by Transport for West Midlands that the conductors would remain in place for the foreseeable future, with the machines a new addition to the tram service.

The changes have been met with concern by disabled-led transport charity Transport for All, who questioned removing conductors as it could take away that communication that a lot of disabled people needed on public transport.

Cat Whitehouse from Transport for All said: “We all want the freedom to travel easily and confidently, but as disabled people a lack of information can stop us doing that.

"Conductors help solve that - they can offer guidance on finding our way, advice on connections and ticket sales. Disabled people will be disproportionately affected by their removal.

"We are deeply concerned that West Midlands Metro doesn’t seem to have shared information about the accessibility of their new ticket machines online, meaning that over half a million disabled people in the region can’t be confident that the machines are suitable for us.

"It’s imperative that additional staff are made available to fill the gap in customer assistance left by removing conductors. 

"West Midlands Metro must also share vital accessibility information about the new ticket machines to ensure that everyone can use them to travel.”

Read more: What can travellers expect from the new West Midlands Metro ticket machines? - Everything you need to know

Tram passengers react to new ticket machines

The changes have also been met with a mixed response by customers, with some people questioning how the new system would work and some confusion about whether there would be people on the trams to check tickets. In reponse to your story about the changes a number of our Facebook followers have reacted.

Jonathan Walker said he felt that more people would not play and criticised Midlands Metro for what he said was saving money.

He said: "They think they are saving money by cutting the conductors. All that will happen is more people will just not pay."

In response, Callum Haynes said his experiences as a conductor had shown that there was more abuse from customers towards conductors, whereas revenue officers were better for inspecting the trams.

He said: "True, but having been a conductor, there's so much abuse from non-payers and paying customers alike I'd much rather see revenue officers that inspect every now and then, than someone walking up and down a tram hoping that passengers cooperate and pay. 

"The stops are far too short unlike trains to inspect an entire tram if it's busy. 

"Please look at the bigger picture here."

Andrew Sanders was one of a number of people to question introducing machines after previous machines had failed to work in the past.

He said: "When the Metro was introduced, the method to obtain tickets was by using machines on the platforms. This didn't work.

"So why reintroduce a system that has proven to fail, and, in a society that is more dishonest than that of 20 years ago?"

James Harvey said: "It's not a new way. When the tram opened they had machines too pay. But they all got robbed and taken down

Yvonne Brown said: "The reason they stopped being used was the machines were unreliable, and also there were many folk who never paid and it was making a loss."

West Midlands Metro explains why they have introduced the machines

A West Midlands Metro spokesman said: “Making sure that our services are easily accessible for everyone is one of our top priorities, and conductors will remain on our trams for some time to come as customers get used to a new way to pay for their travel.

“We’ve done everything we can to widely promote the introduction of the new ticket machines online and across the network using our colourful animated characters Wes and Mindy, and by providing easy to use information on our website.”

“All our tram stops, which meet the highest accessibility standards, are also equipped with help points enabling customers to talk directly to a member of the Metro team should they require assistance.

“The move to buy before you board ticketing also brings us into line with other major tram systems across the UK, where these arrangements are well established and have proved successful.”