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

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Ev 180 Transport Committee: Evidence 2.5 PlusBus, despite more imaginative marketing of late, is still relatively unknown to passengers <strong>and</strong> even to some members of staV. A much more aggressive campaign is required to increase patronage of the scheme. We welcome stations’ improved <strong>and</strong> exp<strong>and</strong>ed displays of connecting bus <strong>and</strong>/or tram information <strong>and</strong> signage to the stops <strong>and</strong> trust that this will be built upon to further publicise the service. 2.6 Many rail <strong>and</strong> bus interchanges are poor or non-existent, <strong>and</strong> many rail stations are poorly served by bus services. We have made recommendations to improve this situation in our report 36 aimed at oVering practical advice on deliverable rail strategies to those local transport authorities then in the process of preparing their second local transport plans, supplementing the Department for Transport’s guidance but emphasising the rail element. 2.7 Integrated ticketing requires integrated planning <strong>and</strong> transport provision to enable passengers to plan <strong>and</strong> execute a seamless journey. We welcome the fact that although through tickets can be booked from rail stations to destinations such as those on the Nexus metro system 37 , no connecting train information is available through the National Rail Enquiries website. Neither does the website yet oVer PlusBus options, as this add-on has to be specifically sought out by those in the know. Transport Direct 38 is a step in the right direction, but at times the system is unhelpful. TOCs still fail to fully promote their own wares to best advantage, <strong>and</strong> therefore a major change in approach is needed to encompass integrated ticketing. Integrated information <strong>and</strong> purpose-built interchanges are crucial to popularise intermodal travel. The Government needs to play a role in joining services up. 2.8 While with PlusBus, the add-on cost is available at the time of purchase <strong>and</strong> previous enquiry, it is diYcult to discover bus fares for one-oV journeys in much of the country through existing media—it can prove awkward to discover which company operates which route, especially in an area with which the enquirer is unfamiliar. The disparate fare levels, doubtless reflecting presence or absence of local subsidy, further add to confusion <strong>and</strong> further impede inter-modal ticketing outside the metropoli. 2.9 The size of the United Kingdom militates against the likelihood of the introduction of a zonal-based national ticketing structure such as operates in the Netherl<strong>and</strong>s. There travel by any mode (rail, urban bus or tram, local train or metro) can be prepaid by purchasing any one of a range of “strip tickets”. 39 The absence of a common fare structure (not only on rail but also on other modes) in Britain makes such a scheme virtually impossible to implement at an attractive fare. The Swiss transport system is generally held to be the most integrated with through fares <strong>and</strong> ticketing <strong>and</strong> easy-to-find information across all modes: long-distance, local <strong>and</strong> regional rail; trams; local <strong>and</strong> longer-distance buses; boats; cable-cars <strong>and</strong> funiculars—with virtually all transport undertakings willing to participate in the scheme. 2.10 At present, government’s strategy towards integrated ticketing is not immediately apparent, save for the move toward smartcard technology in recent franchises. There appears to be no drive towards the creation of additional PTE-type arrangements. 2.11 Until such time as all the relevant journey validity details can be contained on the ticket 40 , in its various likely formats, there is no real hope of fully integrated ticketing. No amount of through fares/ ticketing will succeed without adequate publicity of what is on oVer. 2.12 Payment by all common methods needs to be available: no buses accept credit/debit cards, despite the often high fares for longer journeys. No buses can issue the outward PlusBus deals, which have to be booked at stations or aboard the train. 2.13 Despite all the improvements in integration in London <strong>and</strong> the South East culminating in the recent introduction of National Rail zonal fares, it is still not possible to buy a through ticket from an Underground station to a destination outside London; eg for a journey from Tooting Broadway to Dartford, the passenger will need to rebook en route to avoid being charged a penalty fare. The Use of Smartcard Technologies Q3: Is the industry taking up smartcard technologies adequately <strong>and</strong> appropriately? 3.1 This strategy is barely in its infancy. We welcome the extension of the benefits of smartcard technology to National Rail passengers in the South East, but regret the failure to install Oyster readers at National Rail stations in Greater London to coincide with deployment by London Underground. If the franchising process is expected to deliver smartcard technology across the entire National Rail network, it could take decades to achieve nationwide coverage. 36 Strategy to Reality—using local transport plans to deliver on rail, Rail Passengers Council (February 2005). 37 Formerly Tyne & Wear Metro—light rail services, largely on erstwhile British Rail track beds, on Tyneside <strong>and</strong> Wearside operated by the Passenger Transport Executive. 38 A nationwide web-based route planning service for rail, coach, air (within Scotl<strong>and</strong> only) <strong>and</strong> car journeys. 39 The Strippenkaart is a pre-paid ticket for any journey wholly within the Netherl<strong>and</strong>s. Passengers deduct from their ticket the relevant number of zones through which they intend to travel when they embark on the first leg of the journey, which can be made by any transport mode, in any combination within the zones. In the absence of overall validity limit on the overall ticket remaining units can be used at any time. 40 By “ticket” we mean not only traditional electronic-strip card tickets, but Smartcards, mobile telephone ticketing, print-athome tickets with bar codes etc.
Transport Committee: Evidence Ev 181 3.2 Stored value cards are best suited for payment for urban short-distance “low-value” journeys; their applicability for longer journeys is open to some question, though we welcome the decision to extend the scheme to South West Trains. We have some concerns that the level of fares for long-distance travel by National Rail will far exceed the level which passengers are likely to want to load up in advance. London zonal fares are all below¨ 10 <strong>and</strong> can be checked in advance—though the TfL website cannot at present calculate fares from Underground stations to National Rail destinations, even within the six zones. Is it probable that passengers would be willing to load the level of credit necessary to finance a journey such as London to Derby, where the fare may not be known? The propensity for touching in <strong>and</strong> out on such longdistance journeys must be more limited than on urban local journeys. 3.3 Beyond smartcard, other media may well take the place of traditional paper-based tickets. <strong>Ticketing</strong> by SMS message is already a reality <strong>and</strong> more sophisticated use of this medium is in course of trial. We welcome the harnessing of technology to simplify travel arrangements for passengers who are comfortable <strong>and</strong> conversant with such methods - <strong>and</strong> provided that passengers without access to the required gadgetry are not disadvantaged. Q4: Does the ITSO system cater for the needs of all passengers <strong>and</strong> travel providers? Q5: What can be learned from the experiences of areas such as London <strong>and</strong> Scotl<strong>and</strong> where smartcard technology is already in place? 3.4. ITSO is not in itself a ticket-recognition system, but is rather the philosophy underlying interoperability <strong>and</strong> prepayment. Few such systems are yet in operation. The most vital element is to ensure that when operators install systems, where these are not uniform, that they are mutually compatible. Open-access operators need also to be brought into the fold to ensure that interavailable <strong>and</strong> through ticketing is not jeopardised. 3.5 Concern has been expressed that Oyster is a monopoly supplier. While many Oyster cards have been issued (each with a deposit of several pounds), many of them are used only occasionally. The present policy of increasing cash fares well in excess of prepaid fares will ensure a long-term future for smartcard technology though this might equally well be borne by travel chips in credit cards or mobile phone messages inter alia. Credit/debit cards (as Barclays are doing with Oyster) can add a separate travel chip. Subscribers to the scheme provider can benefit from this additional travel feature without the need for an additional card; we see this as a useful means of smartcard payment for longer-distance fares. 3.6 Although there have been losers as a result of zoning National Rail fares in London, this is a vital precursor to smartcard ticketing availability for journeys on both National Rail <strong>and</strong> London Underground. 3.7 Despite enquiries, we have been unable to locate any smartcard schemes in Scotl<strong>and</strong> applicable to rail services. Revenue Protection <strong>and</strong> The Powers of Ticket Inspectors Q6: Is the legal framework within which the ticket inspectors function appropriate? Q7: What appeal mechanisms exist for passengers <strong>and</strong> are they adequate? Q8: Are the rights of passengers <strong>and</strong> the powers of ticket inspectors well-balanced? Q9: Do operators of public transport take adequate measure to protect fares revenue? 4.1 Passenger Focus <strong>and</strong> its predecessor organisations have long called for measures to ensure that all monies due as fare revenue are collected <strong>and</strong> have welcomed in principle the various penalty fares schemes to that end to protect the interests of fare-payers. We are particularly anxious, however, at the variance between schemes, particularly at stations where two or more companies’ trains call. 4.2 Passengers need clarity about when <strong>and</strong> where penalty fares apply <strong>and</strong> the likely result if they wilfully disregard the provisions. Absence of consistency is a major cause for concern. It is unfair <strong>and</strong> illogical that on some services (as happens, for instance, on SWT’s Basingstoke-Waterloo route) on-train staV will sell fares at booking-oYce prices whereas on other days the full rigour of the Penalty Fare provisions will be brought down on the same individuals. We remain vigilant to the length of ticket-oYce queues as a reason for passengers failing to buy tickets before boarding. We are becoming increasingly perturbed as to whether suYcient flexibility is accorded in cases of queue length exceeding maximum queueing times. We expect passengers to allow a reasonable time 41 to obtain a ticket; after that time, we believe that the industry has failed to provide the necessary facilities <strong>and</strong> that penalty fares should be suspended until such time as ticket issue can conform to the prescribed timescales. 41 The <strong>Ticketing</strong> <strong>and</strong> Settlement Agreement, operated by ATOC Rail Settlement Plan, to which all operators are party, states that passengers should be served within five minutes at peak times <strong>and</strong> three minutes at other times. We concur that these limits are reasonable <strong>and</strong> that they should be adhered to.
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House of Commons Transport Committe
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Contents Report Page 1 Introduction
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4 5. Smartcards offer a range of ne
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6 Integrated bus ticketing 10. Thro
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8 Long distance coach services are
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10 strategy, including those in the
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12 long-distance rail passengers ma
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14 services have not been put in pl
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16 Oyster on rail services in Londo
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18 4 Revenue protection and
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20 Staff safety 61. Transport staff
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22 66. An integrated ticketing syst
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24 Transport should commission an e
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26 concession authorities that attr
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28 operators and a
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30 List of recommendations Integrat
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32 Concessionary t
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34 Formal Minutes Clive Efford Mrs
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36 List of written evidence 1 Dr Ro
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38 List of Reports from the Committ
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Oral evidence Taken before the Tran
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14 November 2007 Mr Chris Austin, M
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Transport Committee: Evidence Ev 11
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14 November 2007 Mr Keith Halstead
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definition of severe disability <st
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about how the data on the smartcard
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things around it. We have got over
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which comes out of the usage of the
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the impact of their behaviour on ot
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5 December 2007 Mr Manuel Cortes, M
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Mr Harris: I am sorry, I am not goi
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12 December 2007 Mr Tom Harris MP <
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Q464 Chairman: Is Transport Direct
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3.2 Conclusion—Smartcard St<stron
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Lostwithiel to Liskeard Transport C
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Is the legal framework within which
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The Use of Smartcard Technologies I
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Integration Nationally Transport Co
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