Don't you think it's ridiculous....

I don't know what area you live in but I have never encountered a bus driver who is not allowed to give change. In fact our buses always do. I can see that carrying a float (indeed carrying any money at all) could be a temptation to thieves and it may be a decision of some operators in certain areas. It is certainly an inconvenience to our drivers who each have to carry their own float of change in a special container which is slotted into place whenever there is a change of driver. One isn't actually a favoured customer if one proffers even a £10 note but nobody (as far as I know) is ever overcharged. I am in the enviable position that I am able to travel free (after 9:30am and at weekends) on all the local buses in England, so I rarely have to ask for change.

Where I live in Alabama, when you are over your fare, they give you a change card which you can use later on to help pay your fare on the bus, and that way you won't feel slighted somehow. Also, we also chip in and help out a person short on change. We also make up change, and sometimes the drivers if they know you well, will give you a break on the fare knowing you get on every day and perhaps you left your fare or bus card at home by mistake. That does happen. Now there are drivers that have absolutely NO LOVE and stick to the rules!! I know some and I make sure to keep it real with them because some folks will make an example outta you.

It's like that here in Ontario, Canada as well! No change is given and so if you put too much money in it is simply gone! I remedy this by by buying ride tickets which also saves me a bit of money on my tenth ride! I hate trying to dig up proper change for the bus!!! ~Heavens~

It is ridiculous and I can understand how you feel because the same system was adopted by a bus company in Malaysia. Recently this company has introduced prepaid tickets whereas they should have introduced season passes. Before this another bus company introduced a season pass but it was not a true season pass because only one journey to and fro is allowed per day. Many locals accepted this arrangement, not realising that they were still at a disadvantage. Obviously there are people who like to take advantage over other people's naivety.