Uni of Kent Unirider bus tickets mobile app only. Anyone know why?

Last two years I've been getting the Unirider bus pass on their physical bus passes. However, this year it's only available on the stagecoach mobile app. I don't understand why, as it's not even cheaper, but has gone up in price a lot again.

My biggest issue is is that to use the pass, you have to have internet access every time you get on a bus. However, I frequently use it in dead zones, where there is no WiFi and no data access, due to the nature of my course. As such, I have no idea what to do, and I just want to know why this change has happened. I keep having panic attacks over how every day I am going to stress over whether I will have internet access that day or not, since it's incredibly intermittent. Or how much I am going to have to spend buying extra tickets when it works.
The only alternative is buying the regular student ticket at around £900 compared to the £300 Unirider covering the exact same usage dates and area availability

Reply 1

Im confused

It’s the same for me. It might be because students often lost their cards or they got stolen. Just a theory though…

(edited 7 months ago)

University of Kent

Canterbury

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Reply 2

Thorn344

Original post by Im confused

It’s the same for me. It might be because students often lost their cards or they got stolen. Just a theory though…

For me it doesn't make much sense, as it's a simple process to get a replacement card with the same ticket on, since it's registered to you. They cancel your old card, and you pay £1 to get a new card with your student ticket on. So you have to pay for a replacement
It just frustrates me that my forcing it onto mobile only, you have to have a compatible model. I know most students do, but it was only October last year that I got a phone that was new enough to be supported by the app. Plus greater risk of dropping my phone in the crush that is getting on my bus at the bus station

Reply 3

martin7

Original post by Thorn344

What to do? Contact the bus company and ask how you're supposed to use a mobile app that requires connectivity in areas where there's no connectivity. (If they say that you should change your mobile provider, tell them that's not an acceptable response.)

There's no point in asking them why they've made the change, or why they've increased the cost.