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Title: Rail companies told to stop treating passengers like criminals Post by: TaplowGreen on February 03, 2015, 10:51:14 http://metro.co.uk/2015/02/02/rail-companies-told-to-stop-treating-passengers-like-criminals-5046930/
Title: Re: Rail companies told to stop treating passengers like criminals Post by: stuving on February 03, 2015, 10:57:22 Here is the announcement from Claire Perry (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/overhaul-to-rail-penalty-fare-appeals-proposed):
Quote The government has launched a consultation on proposals that will make the rail penalty fare system fairer for passengers. Rail tickets Appealing against penalty rail fares will become fairer and more open under new proposals unveiled by the Department for Transport today (3 February 2015). Penalty fares can be charged by train operators if a passenger is found to be travelling without a valid ticket. A process already exists to enable those who think they have been charged incorrectly or unfairly to make appeals through 1 of 2 appeal bodies. The government is launching a consultation on a number of proposals that will make the system fairer for passengers and more consistent across the industry. Rail Minister Claire Perry said: More people are using our railways than ever, and passengers rightly expect that we take strong action against fare dodgers. But passengers penalised through no fault of their own must be treated fairly. That^s why we have listened to passenger groups and are working with the rail industry to improve the system so it is clearer, fairer and easier to use. Currently passengers can appeal either through the Independent Revenue Collection and Support (IRCAS) or the Independent Penalty Fares Appeals Service (IPFAS). Measures for public consultation include:
The public consultation will run from 3 February to 27 April 2015. Title: Re: Rail companies told to stop treating passengers like criminals Post by: Network SouthEast on February 03, 2015, 11:27:13 It's ridiculous that a TOC owner can run a penalty fare appeals body. I welcome anything that makes them truly independent.
Title: Re: Rail companies told to stop treating passengers like criminals Post by: Brucey on February 03, 2015, 22:05:24 It's ridiculous that a TOC owner can run a penalty fare appeals body. They aren't just another child company of the parent group either. IPFAS is actually just a trading name of a TOC (London & South Eastern Railway Limited). How they can call themselves independent is beyond me.Title: Re: Rail companies told to stop treating passengers like criminals Post by: broadgage on March 07, 2015, 18:41:34 I have seen a couple of cases of penalty fares being imposed unreasonably.
The worst was from Taunton to London, numerous passengers had advance tickets valid "on booked train only" they boarded what they believed to be the correct train. On board they were told that in fact they were on an earlier train that was running late and that therefore stopped a few minutes after the time at which the correct train SHOULD have stopped. Penalties were paid by the better behaved passengers, those in a more aggressive mood threatened to "deal with" the RPIs and paid nothing. This most unfortunate episode showed two things to the victims, firstly that large "fines" imposed seemingly at random are a hazard of rail travel, and secondly that threatening to thump the RPIs can save a lot of money. One victim felt so strongly as to state that imposing a substantial "fine" for getting on what looked like the right train was in fact robbery and that the law permits the use of "reasonable force" in defence of ones person or property against robbers. Many expressed the view that had they waited for the late running correct train, that they probably would have been "fined" for not getting the earlier one! Such episodes are fortunately rare, but they can generate a lot a bad publicity and ill feeling. I am not aware of any other industry that has the power to impose substantial "fines" on its customers. I have only been penalty fared once, and reluctantly paid up as it WAS my fault for missing a restriction on the validity of my ticket (virgin, not FGW) Title: Re: Rail companies told to stop treating passengers like criminals Post by: stuving on March 07, 2015, 18:53:41 I am not aware of any other industry that has the power to impose substantial "fines" on its customers. Really? What about car hire? In fact, any kind of equipment hire will have penalties for damage or in some cases late return (even public libraries!). And then there are leases and tenancies. In a lot of these cases a substantial deposit is taken against your future penalty payment. I'm sure there are loads of others, if you start thinking of all those consumer contracts where you have to be trusted with or to do sosmething. Title: Re: Rail companies told to stop treating passengers like criminals Post by: ellendune on March 07, 2015, 18:57:39 I am not aware of any other industry that has the power to impose substantial "fines" on its customers. Really? What about car hire? In fact, any kind of equipment hire will have penalties for damage or in some cases late return (even public libraries!). And then there are leases and tenancies. In a lot of these cases a substantial deposit is taken against your future penalty payment. I'm sure there are loads of others, if you start thinking of all those consumer contracts where you have to be trusted with or to do sosmething. I think you will find almost all of these must demonstrate that it is recompense for a genuine loss rather than a penalty. This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |