Arriva Trains Wales should do more to collect fares from passengers, according to South Wales East AM Lindsay Whittle.
The Plaid Cymru politician wrote to the company’s commercial director Mike Bagshaw raising concerns about the lack of staff collecting fares and asking what action was being taken to catch fare dodgers.
In the letter Mr Whittle wrote: “I’m a fairly frequent traveller on Arriva Trains between my home in Caerphilly and Cardiff. In the recent past after rugby internationals I have noticed little attempt to collect fares on trains. I appreciate that moving fans quickly is key after such large events. However, the non-collection of fares does not appear confined to the days of rugby internationals. Last month, I caught the last train home on Saturday January 21 and there was no attempt by rail staff to collect fares on the train. There will inevitably be some travellers who enjoyed a free journey but that does not sit well with fare-paying passengers.
“Whilst fare dodging is to be condemned, I’m sure you’d agree that the company needs to ensure that it collects fares from passengers who are happy to pay but find they are not even approached by a member of the rail staff.”
In response, Mike Bagshaw said the company had invested heavily over the years in ticket gates, additional revenue protection staff and installing a large number of ticket machines at stations.
Mr Bagshaw said that it had carried out surveys to gauge the likely level of fare evasion with targeted exercises. “We will be conducting further exercise based on the most recent evidence of ticket-less travel and the data and results will inform our revised company revenue protection strategy.
“For the situation you have highlighted on January 21, we are investigating the special circumstances with the line manager. When special events take place there is always a strong emphasis on the importance of maximising revenue, particularly when there is a need for the company to offset the extremely large additional resourcing costs demanded by these events. However, there are some practical issues associated with collecting revenue and safely managing large crowds.”
I rarely use the train service but I will say that I have been on both sides of this. I have bought my ticket from the station ticket office if open and have then been on the train,seen people get on and off without paying or being approached and have felt frustrated. And then,on the other hand I have gotten on the train,prepared to pay a conductor,but have then had the whole journey free! I was shocked that it happened and even felt guilty even though there was nothing I could do. Why should people honestly pay for season tickets and then casual users get free rides?? Its the people using it all the time that deserve a discount!! Maybe if they started collecting fares then they could give the genuine ones that discount!
People do get very worried over a very small problem. Not many get off before Cardiff, and there there's only one station without gates. That happens to be the Bay. Tell me which AM does not pay …
I commute daily to and from Cardiff for work purposes. My season ticket is almost always diligently checked when travelling on the train from Caerphilly to Cardiff, and I’m then required to put it through the automated barrier at Queen Street Station. The checks on the train from Cardiff to Caerphilly are less frequent, but then they check it at the automated barrier as I enter the station.
In rush hour, it can be near impossible for revenue protection staff to pass through the train as it is so crowded, and I suspect that on international days it is even more severe. I defy anyone who suggests that a revenue protection operative could pass through a train under these circumstances.
Fare dodging is a relatively minor issue; effort would be better spent lobbying on the over-crowding situation.
On occasions similar to the one to which Lindsay Whittle refers, trains can be full to bursting point making it impossible for anybody to go through to collect fares. There could be problems with 4 Coach Pacers with no through access between the 2 units unless there is somebody to collect fares and check tickets in each portion. Fare evasion can be easy at night when the barriers at Cardiff Central and Queen St are not in use.