Memorandum from TravelWatch Northwest
(TPT 25)
INTEGRATED TICKETING
1. Is ticketing sufficiently integrated across
different modes of transport and between different geographical
areas?
Within Passenger Transport Executive (PTE)
areas integrated ticketing is well established and relatively
easy to use. When the ticket is of a standard design produced
by the PTE it is easily recognised and accepted by staff of all
operators. If a similar multi-modal and multi-operator ticket
requires the issue of a ticket from a company machine which will
bear the issuing company's logo, passengers often have problems
convincing other operators staff that the ticket is valid on their
services.
Whilst PTEs have usually managed to persuade
operator consortia to take part in multi modal ticketing schemes
this has often been at the cost of them being more expensive than
operator's own multi journey tickets.
Outside PTE areas, integrated ticketing is virtually
unknown with just a few isolated examples such as Derbyshire County
Council's "Derbyshire Wayfarer" product. Integrated
tickets are usually only available within a restricted area and
do not extend into adjoining areas.
There is also a lack of integration within bus
travel let alone across modes. In many instances it is not possible
to turn up and buy a ticket for a through journey when it involves
a change of bus. For example a journey from Milnthorpe in Cumbria
to Morecambe in Lancashire (about 12 miles) requires change of
bus at some point and two fares have to be purchased. This does
not encourage the car to be left at home.
TravelWatch NorthWest's predecessor the North
West Public Transport Users Forum (NWPTUF) produced a report in
December 2005 on Multi Modal Ticketing which highlighted shortcomings
with integrated ticketing as well as highlighting best practice.
This is attached. [27]
Pricing should also be considered. Outside metropolitan
areas the perception of public transport is as an expensive mode
compared to the car. In some areas a 10 minute return bus journey
can be around £5. Contrast this with the cost of a journey
across the breadth of Greater Manchester for about half the price.
Until some national consistency on fares can be achieved and promoted
bus travel will be unattractive to future generations in many
rural areas where the convenience of the car will remain unchallenged.
2. Does the Government have an adequate strategy
for developing the integration of ticketing systems?
Government policy is ineffective and will continue
to be so until the role of the Office of Fair Trading is revised
to allow operators to discuss integration without the fear of
prosecution. Such co-operation is vital and there can be no meaningful
integration whilst this interference continues.
There is a need to look more acutely at the
future. The whole marketplace for travel and consumerism will
change in the next 10 years as the "baby boomers" (those
born between 1945 and 1960) form the majority of the retired population.
Post war attitudes to life that include the many conveniences
enjoyed by this generation in contrast to the previous generation
will bring a very different set of demands and standards. Unless
public transport gets its act together, particularly for short
distance travel, to meet the new expectations and demands, it
will be in danger of dying of neglect and underuse.
3. Is the industry taking up modern smartcard
technologies adequately and appropriately?
With the exception of London and Scotland, smartcards
are only being developed and used on very local schemes and are
only introduced after long trials of the technology even though
the technology has been used in other places for years.
4. Does the ITSO system cater for the needs
of all passengers and travel provider?
ITSO is overcomplex and delaying the progress
of smartcard implementation.
The trials of this system are over-long and
the first large scale scheme is only just being rolled out in
Lancashire. The Lancashire scheme is only dealing with the NoW
(North West) card used by the over 60's for their concessionary
journeys. It appears that other needs are still being "trialled".
5. What can be learned from the experiences
of areas such as London and Scotland where smartcard technology
is already in place?
Both schemes are now well established, but the
London "Oyster" system (not ITSO compatible) shows the
way forward for integrated ticketing throughout the UK. Of course,
the London ticket has the advantage of being operated in a regulated
bus system, also an area where all forms of transport work well
with each other and without the interference of the OFT.
REVENUE PROTECTION
AND THE
POWERS OF
TICKET INSPECTORS
6. Is the legal framework within which ticket
inspectors function appropriate?
For buses there appears to be no national system
to back the work of inspectors and many do not know the extent
of their powers under the law.
On rail there are National Conditions of Carriage
which are appropriate although a review of their passenger friendliness
may be desirable.
7. What appeals mechanisms exist for passengers,
and are they adequate?
The current mechanisms for dealing with bus
passengers problems are:
— London—London Travelwatch.
— Scotland—Bus Users Complaint
Tribunal.
— Northern Ireland—The General
Consumer Council for Northern Ireland.
— England and Wales—The Bus Appeals
Body.
In London, Scotland and Northern Ireland these
are statutory bodies with effective powers to deal with the complaints.
In England and Wales, the Bus Appeals Body (BAB) is a non-statutory
organisation run by Bus Users UK with funding from within the
bus industry. There is no statutory power given to BAB and their
decisions are not binding on any party allowing the operators
to ignore there deliberations. TravelWatch considers that there
should be a statutory appeals body for bus users in England and
Wales.
Unlike the bus industry, Passenger Focus does
have statutory powers to deal with complaints about rail services.
Complaints handling is centralised and it has been commented that
the organisation has lost the wealth of local knowledge that the
former regional Rail Passenger Committees possessed.
8. Are the rights of passengers and ticket
inspectors well-balanced?
There is often a conflict between the perceived
rights of inspectors and the actual legal framework applicable.
Ignorance of the rights of both parties is often to blame and
more should be done to publicise these rights.
9. Do operators of public transport take
adequate measures to protect fares revenue?
With bus services outside London, the fare is
paid to the driver who also checks the validity of pre-paid tickets.
Within London, the same applies in most cases, but when multi
entrance vehicles are used, there is an increasing tendency to
fares avoidance which is difficult to deal with.
On the continent it is common for passengers
to be expected to cancel their own ticket before travel in machinery
provided either at the station or on the train/tram/bus. It works
there and would here. So why is it not in practice as it could
assist revenue protection where human intervention is difficult.
The rail industry has a great loss of revenue
by its' inability to collect the fares due from passengers. The
open station principle and unstaffed stations mean that the onus
is on the train staff to collect fares but this is frequently
not happening. This is due to a variety of reasons ranging from
inability to access the train when it is over-crowded to neglect
of duty by the on-train staff.
10. Is the Government's concessionary fares
strategy, including the proposed scheme for concessionary bus
travel, adequate?
The concessionary bus schemes are different
for each country and there is no truly national scheme in operation
or proposed. This leaves many passengers disadvantaged especially
in border areas.
The provision of bus concessions is only of
use to those who have bus services available and does not consider
the growing number of people in rural areas with no access to
any form of public transport.
Free rail concessions are available in PTE areas,
but not in the Shire Counties and for long distance services.
A Railcard is available from the rail industry at a price, but
is subject to many restrictions.
Attached is TravelWatch NorthWest's comments
on the current Concessionary Bus Travel Bill. [28]
11. Are concessionary fares schemes sufficiently
integrated across different modes of transport and different geographical
areas?
With the exception of PTE areas, there is no
integration across modes. The current scheme in England is fragmented
and does not allow cross-boundary traffic in many areas. The new
proposals will improve this, but may not allow full freedom throughout
the UK.
March 2007
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