Passenger patterns
Transport Focus Chief Executive ANTHONY SMITH on looking after passengers during Coronavirus and beyond.
ONCE the decision was taken on March 16 to stop all unnecessary travel, both the Government and the rail industry acted quickly to put new contractual arrangements in place with substantial sums of Government funding, to secure the rail network during this crisis and afterwards.
Refunds
During that first week, as the rail industry came to terms with this unprecedented crisis, operators were offering differing refund options for passengers who had purchased advance tickets.
That inconsistency was frustrating for passengers, and Transport Focus (TF) pushed for changes to the usual terms and conditions owing to the exceptional conditions imposed by Coronavirus.
We welcomed the subsequent commitment to refund passengers who hold advance tickets bought before March 23 and which they no longer need, as it’s vitally important that passengers who followed the advice not to travel are not left out of pocket. The exceptional circumstances imposed by Coronavirus - on almost all aspects of our lives - meant the usual terms and conditions cannot stand.
On advance tickets, TF welcomes that it has been made possible to get refunds, and that in doing so passengers will not incur an admin fee. This brings them in line with anytime and off-peak tickets and brings an end to the rigmarole of passengers being advised to change their travel date when they had no way of knowing when travel would be possible again.
We are still looking for a better deal for season ticket holders who do not need to travel.
Existing terms and conditions for season ticket refunds continue to apply.
Because of the discounts on longer-term season tickets, refunds are not made pro rata to the periods before/after surrender and annual season tickets have no refund value after about 10½ months. We will continue to discuss the need for pro rata refunds with Government and train companies, as it isn’t the passenger’s fault that they won’t be using the ticket for a full 12 months.
There’s also the question of backdating if you’ve not been travelling but haven’t yet handed in your season ticket.
We have also been pushing for the backdating of refunds to Tuesday March 17 (the first day of official work from home advice) for passengers who have not been travelling, and we are pleased that this has been recognised.
Some operators (but not all) are waiving the £10 admin fee for season ticket refunds. In these extreme circumstances, where households may need to make money go further, it is important that the railway is seen to do the right thing by its passengers. We would encourage all operators to waive the admin fee.
Communication
Clear and consistent advice is also needed about refund arrangements. Normally, passengers return tickets to the point of purchase. But what if this is a ticket office, as is so often the case for season ticket purchases? Clearly it would not be safe for every season ticket holder to set out to the station just to claim a refund.
“I just had to email my ticket number, name and address to the customer service email.” Monthly season ticket (Northern)
“I looked on the company website and it gave an email address to which to send claims for refunds for season tickets. I emailed accordingly and nearly two weeks later had a reply that as my season ticket is on a smartcard I should contact the smartcard team. Neither the email nor the website gives any contact details for the smartcard team, so I have logged a complaint via email to the email address given for complaints. I am awaiting a reply.” Annual season ticket (East Midlands Railway)
We still want marked improvements in the way season ticket refund arrangements are being communicated. The Rail Delivery Group and operators have been listening to our concerns and are now beginning to articulate refund arrangements in a consumer-friendly way. Reassurance on the following principles that we have asked for are being enshrined in the process:
That passengers don’t need to go to the station to get money back.
That you won’t lose out financially by staying at home.
That claims will be backdated to a March 17 surrender date.
That the sum passengers get back will not be affected by how quickly claims are processed, so passengers don’t fear they will lose out as the refund process will take longer than usual due to the increased number of claims.
Revised timetables
From Monday March 23, most timetables changed significantly from the normal daily services, with a specific focus on delivering an effective public transport service for key workers and those making essential journeys.
The changes introduced seem to be both a reasonable and proportionate response to the challenge of providing an effective service for key workers. We have set out a number of key principles to ensure that the remaining ‘product’ can still meet the core needs of key workers and essential travel.
Timetables need to be co-ordinated where several operators serve the same market, efforts must be made to co-ordinate timetables rather than each being introduced in isolation, and consideration must be given to relaxation of ticketing rules.
First/last/night services: while demand will inevitably be less at such times, the needs of key workers must be factored in. Some people will still need to get to work/home outside of core hours.
Existing first and last services should be maintained - a Sunday service frequency may be fine, but Sunday service start up and close down times may not be.
Information
Consulting and communicating on timetable changes in this fast-moving environment is difficult, but where feasible effort should be made to engage users and/or representative bodies.
This could include asking Health Boards for evidence on which to base decisions, consultation on key changes, and creating mechanisms to review/react to any unintended consequences arising from the changes.
All changes must be well publicised using a
“It seems unlikely that the world post-Coronavirus will be exactly the same as it was before. When and how quickly will people return to public transport after restrictions on travel have been lifted? Will they return to their old travel patterns?”
variety of channels, and every effort should be made to ensure that there is a ‘single source of the truth’ on timetable information.
Where a train is withdrawn from the timetable on which passengers have already bought tickets, efforts should be made to get in touch with those passengers beforehand. Don’t let passengers turn up and then find out about the cancellation.
“On the Monday the train journey was still busy, although I was still able to sit [by] myself as most passengers could. I wore gloves to avoid touching metal surfaces as far as possible. My return journey from work was quieter and in general the trains have become less busy since approx Wed 25th. It is more noticeable that surfaces are being wiped clean, certainly on my return journeys from Glasgow Central on the Kilmarnock line. No one talks on the trains and it is a very surreal experience.”
(ScotRail)
If we get to the stage of further timetable reductions as a consequence of staffing levels, make sure there is liaison with bus companies.
There may be routes where a bus company still has sufficient drivers and capacity on the parallel route, so that withdrawing trains will still allow key workers to travel. And there may be routes where bus companies are struggling for staff, but the railway can keep going.
We may not be here yet, but getting discussion going will ensure vital public transport corridors are protected.
Accessibility
On top of the ‘usual’ barriers experienced, there is now the added anxiety arising from Coronavirus itself.
Transport Focus knows through its research that journeys are often planned in meticulous detail by disabled passengers, to help ensure a successful journey. The cost of something going wrong may not just be inconvenience, it can represent a threat to health.
Therefore, in a time of reduced timetables, disruption and uncertainty, it is important that there is absolute clarity about what help and support is available.
Perhaps one of the most important areas concerns the availability (and willingness) of staff to provide help. We recognise that there may be increased staff absence during this time, so information about what is really happening is crucial.
Travel surveys
Although travel has been significantly curtailed, Transport Focus continues to speak up on behalf of transport users. In order to do this and to help the Government, transport operators and other bodies, we have recently launched two surveys to understand what it is like to travel now.
These are the Transport User Panel (15,000 members) current travel survey (Transport Focus and London TravelWatch), and the Coronavirus rail timetable survey (Transport Focus and the Rail Delivery Group). Both have been set up in record time.
These surveys are designed to improve understanding of two key issues.
For those still travelling, what is the experience like? In particular, are public transport revised timetables fit for purpose?
Our aim is to ensure that those who need to travel can do so when they need to in safety, and to help transport operators and other bodies meet the laudable aim of matching services to the current market.
Future travel patterns
While the focus to date has quite rightly been on ensuring that those who need to travel can do so when they need to and in safety, Transport Focus (like others in the transport sector) has already begun to think about what the future holds.
It seems unlikely that the world postCoronavirus will be exactly the same as it was before. When and how quickly will people return to public transport after restrictions on travel have been lifted? Will they return to their old travel patterns?
Many employees and companies will have learned a lot about working from home during an outbreak that will have stress-tested many business continuity plans.
Many will have discovered that (a few IT and bandwidth issues aside) the remote working trend has been accelerated.
And if workers are only going into the office two or three days a week, then there is an even greater need to offer them flexible or part-time season tickets.
Some will have been unfortunate to be made redundant during the outbreak and will not be travelling for work at all. Others may no longer feel comfortable using public transport and opt to drive.
It will be crucial to involve the user in these debates so that services are rebuilt around their needs, any concerns they have can be overcome, and transport budgets that have been battered can be restored.