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

Ev 154 Transport Committee: Evidence
Revenue Protection <strong>and</strong> The Powers of Ticket Inspectors
6. Is the legal framework within which ticket inspectors function appropriate?
Scheidt <strong>and</strong> Bachmann view this as an operational issue <strong>and</strong> would not wish to comment on it.
7. What appeal mechanisms exist for passengers, <strong>and</strong> are they adequate?
Scheidt <strong>and</strong> Bachmann view this as an operational issue <strong>and</strong> would not wish to comment on it.
8. Are the rights of passengers <strong>and</strong> the powers of ticket inspectors well-balanced?
Scheidt <strong>and</strong> Bachmann view this as an operational issue <strong>and</strong> would not wish to comment on it.
9. Do operators of public transport take adequate measures to protect fares revenue?
Whilst Scheidt <strong>and</strong> Bachmann view this as an operational issue <strong>and</strong> would not wish to comment on it
directly it should be noted that all of the transport service providers in all modes make every eVort to deliver
a fair <strong>and</strong> open revenue protection approach.
A common requirement when specification of integrated fares systems are being planned is for the use of
the technology to assist in the delivery of revenue protection, both by providing ticket inspectors with the
appropriate tools to do the job <strong>and</strong> by providing the passenger with every opportunity to pay for travel
through manned, self service <strong>and</strong> remote access sales points such as the web.
<strong>Concessionary</strong> Fares—The Right Strategy
10. Is the Government’s concessionary fares strategy, including the proposed scheme for concessionary bus
travel, adequate?
It is Scheidt <strong>and</strong> Bachmann’s view that the vision that is shown in the current Expression of Interest notice
for the English <strong>Concessionary</strong> Fares scheme clearly reflects the importance that the Government places on
the manner.
Scheidt <strong>and</strong> Bachmann feel that the approach is the correct one, especially given the complex nature of
the relationships that must be accounted for but that the proposed strategy currently lacks suYcient detail
in the public domain for a comment on its adequacy to be made.
Scheidt <strong>and</strong> Bachmann do believe that the strategy implied in both the EoI <strong>and</strong> in the Transport
Committee’s enquiry indicate that with sound <strong>and</strong> clear leadership from Government <strong>and</strong> the exploitation
of the ITSO technology <strong>and</strong> approach will deliver a more that adequate strategy.
11. Are concessionary fares schemes suYciently integrated across diVerent modes of transport <strong>and</strong> diVerent
geographical areas?
At this point in time it is Scheidt <strong>and</strong> Bachmann’s view that whilst the intention is there to deliver
integration across modes <strong>and</strong> geographical areas the strategy remains to be implemented to deliver this.
Additional Comment
12. Integration of systems
Scheidt <strong>and</strong> Bachmann believe that there are three areas which the Government should consider <strong>and</strong>
provide leadership on.
The first is to recognise that the implementation of anew, full integrated multi modal <strong>and</strong> geographically
broad public transport ticketing solution will probably be delivered over a period of time.
In order to achieve this a key planning eVort that Government can provide guidance on will be the
intregration in the short term of existing legacy system into a new solution that uses modern technology.
This will ensure continuity of services whilst the new technology is fully deployed <strong>and</strong> will help to drive down
the cost of implementation by reducing the risks associated with a “big bang” approach.
The second area where guidance can be given is in the planning of new technology implementation. ITSO
smartcards represent a very major step forward in achieving a national integrated ticketing solution which
will provide passengers with a common interfact <strong>and</strong> allow Authorities <strong>and</strong> transport providers to benefit
from an open <strong>and</strong> competitive supplier base.
Whilst encouraging the development <strong>and</strong> piloting of new technologies such a Near Field Communication
<strong>and</strong> Mobile solutions, the guidance should ensure that the introduction of the new concepts does not delay
the implementation of the current smartcard technology.