Passengers using Britain’s railways face very inconsistent treatment when travelling without a ‘valid’ ticket. That’s according to a report from Passenger Focus. Passengers who make an innocent mistake can find themselves facing a hefty bill, or in some of the worst cases, a criminal prosecution, says the passenger pressure group.
Passenger Focus says that it has been contacted by hundreds of passengers who have faced what they consider to be unfair treatment as a result of, it’s claimed, an inconsistent application of complex rules. In some cases individual staff deal with situations well, but sometimes the consequences can be severe with payment of large ‘fines’ and threats of criminal prosecution.
Anthony Smith, Passenger Focus, chief executive said: “No one is in favour of fare dodgers. However, passengers deserve a fair hearing. If they have forgotten their railcard, lost one of their tickets but have proof of purchase or have been unable to pick up booked tickets they should be given a second chance. Passengers, when boarding a train, are entering a minefield of rules and regulations, some dating back to Victorian times. Any form of privatised justice like this must be administered according to clear guidelines, be accountable, give passengers a fair hearing and not assume everyone is guilty. Train companies cannot continue to treat some of their customers like this – ‘one strike and you are out’ is simply not fair.”
Rail Minister Norman Baker, said: “Passengers have a right for the rules to be consistently applied across all operators. It is worrying if Passenger Focus has found that this is not case. It is in the interests of Train Operating Companies that passengers are confident in what they are buying .”
Passenger Focus said that it wants to see:
the introduction of a code of practice for non penalty fare areas which sets out clear and consistent guidelines on how passengers who board without a ‘valid’ ticket should be dealt with. This should include clear rules on how to deal with passengers with disabilities, cases where a passenger has a ticket but has missed a booked train and a formal right of appeal
passengers should only face criminal prosecution with proof of intent to defraud
more flexibility when a passenger can prove they bought a valid ticket but cannot produce the ticket (or all of them) when asked
More transparency on how many penalties are issued, for what and how many appeals are upheld or overturned.
The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) has already undertaken to co-ordinate the drawing up of national guidelines to ensure more consistent treatment of passengers – welcomed by Passenger Focus. It’s asking passengers to tell their stories, good and bad, about how they were dealt with when found without a ‘valid’ ticket. Passengers can do this on a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/PassengerFocus
In response to the publication of ‘Ticket to Ride?’ a spokesperson for the Association of Train Operating Companies said: “We recognise the concerns raised by the report and are already working on an industry-wide code of practice that will set out how operators deal with fare dodgers and where discretion can be shown for passengers who have made an honest mistake.
“Train companies need to take a firm but fair approach to fare dodging because unfortunately there will always be people who try to get away without paying. The overwhelming majority of the three million people who travel by train every day get the right ticket for their journey with no problems whatsoever.”
Meanwhile, crimes against the railways for the financial year 2011-12 are down 15 per cent on the previous year, says Network Rail; however the total direct cost to the industry, and ultimately the taxpayer and country, is up 12pc, because the thefts have spread to busier and more complex parts of the railway. Dyan Crowther, the rail infrastructure company’s director, operational services said: “Our massive effort against cable thieves is having effect. Crimes and delay to passengers are both down on last year. However, they are still at an unacceptably high level. We firmly believe that without legal reform we will continue to see thousands of hours delay and millions of pounds wasted because of these crimes.”
