NJ: What should a commuter do when NJ Transit won’t cross honor their ticket?

One of the tactics transit agencies use to move passengers when there is a service disruption is having other modes - such as a train, bus or ferry or other agency - honor their tickets. 

The practice, called cross honoring, has been used to keep customers moving during any disruption from bad weather, to track trouble to a bus company suspending service.

But sometime the cross honoring system breaks down, as it did for a displaced DeCamp Bus Line rider on Wednesday, when he tried to use his bus ticket on an NJ Transit Montclair line train.

What should a rider do when a bus driver or conductors refuses to cross honor?

Stay calm and read on.

Here’s the back story: NJ Transit and Coach USA announced Friday they would cross honor DeCamp tickets this month on certain nearby routes. Montclair line trains were among them.

Essex County-based DeCamp suspended service on Aug. 7 because ridership was too low to cover bus operation costs. Private bus companies did not receive assistance from the federal CARES act as public transit agencies did.

When our intrepid rider presented his DeCamp ticket cross to a crew member on on a Montclair-Boonton line train, the crew member politely declined to honor it.

That wasn’t supposed to happen because all crews were immediately advised and instructed to cross honor DeCamp tickets, said Nancy Snyder, an NJ Transit spokeswoman.

“This ticket collector should have cross honored the DeCamp ticket,” she said. “If a customer encounters a ticket collector who does not cross honor, please request (to talk to) the conductor.”

Commuters also can show NJ Transit train crew members or bus drivers the official agency alert, sent on Twitter, email or text to prove cross honoring is in effect.

That can help, but “it is the crew’s responsibility to implement the cross honoring of which they are notified,” Snyder said.

What happens if there is an impasse and the ticket isn’t honored during a cross honoring period that is in effect?

“We also encourage our customers to contact customer service to report such situations,” Snyder said.

What’s in the future for DeCamp?

NJ Transit officials said they don’t have the funds to take over its bus routes. If there is an increase in commuter traffic, DeCamp officials said they could resume service.

Meanwhile the company has joined the private bus industry in asking for help from the bipartisan Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act, which New Jersey U.S. Senator Cory Booker has co-sponsored.

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Larry Higgs may be reached at [email protected].

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