Ticketing and Concessionary Travel on Public Transport - United ...

23. As the rail industry promotes online ticket sales <strong>and</strong> other methods that reduce
ticket retailing costs, it is imperative that the full range of tickets, including multimodal
options, be available at all main outlets. We recommend that the Government
explores this issue with the Association of Train Operating Companies <strong>and</strong> includes
requirements for ticket availability in future passenger licence conditions if necessary.
If not, the Government’s commitment to fare structure simplification in its Rail White
Paper will be meaningless.
Integrated ticketing between different geographical areas
24. For those who live near the boundaries of transport authority areas, the lack of
integrated ticketing between areas <strong>and</strong> sharp fare increases at the boundaries can present
real problems. As we have already noted, the passenger transport executives offer multimodal
travelcards but a passenger whose routine journeys (for example, to work) involve
crossing a passenger transport executive boundary, might be required to buy two
travelcards or to rely on a combination of travelcard <strong>and</strong> individual tickets. 28
25. There is currently a further problem with concessionary bus travel in Engl<strong>and</strong>, with
people on the boundaries of their local area often unable to use their pass for local journeys
into neighbouring authority areas, even when these contain the shops, hospitals or other
amenities on which they depend. This boundary problem will largely disappear with the
introduction of national concessionary bus travel in April 2008. For those people living on
the borders of Engl<strong>and</strong> with Wales or Scotl<strong>and</strong>, these problems will remain.
Government strategy on integrated ticketing
26. The Government’s approach to integrated ticketing has been to require throughticketing
(<strong>and</strong> now some smartcards) on the railways, but to leave integration of bus <strong>and</strong>
other ticketing to the private operators <strong>and</strong> local transport authorities. It has largely sought
to enable <strong>and</strong> not to direct. The strategy appears to be one of allowing market forces to
drive implementation, through customer dem<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> industry initiatives. Key elements of
its approach include:
a) support for the development of smartcard systems through a common st<strong>and</strong>ard (ITSO
– see section 3) for rail, concessionary travel <strong>and</strong> London;
b) measures in the Rail White Paper, including a simplification of rail fares structure <strong>and</strong>
proposals for zonal rail pricing in major cities; <strong>and</strong>
c) support for Transport Direct which provides integrated travel <strong>and</strong> ticketing
information. 29
27. In the eyes of many witnesses, the Government’s strategy for integrated ticketing is far
from clear or robust. 30 Many witnesses commented that they were unaware of any such
28 See, for example, Ev 65 [Mr Horan].
29 Ev 171–172
30 For example, Ev 67 <strong>and</strong> Ev 125.
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