A study of users’ attitudes towards ticketing on rail, metro, light rail and bus services has been published by passenger watchdog London TravelWatch.
The study found that passengers want stations staffed with people who are knowledgeable, helpful and able to resolve problems.
Passengers also highlighted that a staff presence on stations made them feel more secure and that there was a suspicion that recent research into the number of tickets sold at ticket offices was part of a wider agenda to reduce station staffing levels.
The report also noted that ‘although many people are reluctant to compromise on the issue of staff availability, they are willing to consider the possibility that on some occasions, deploying staff outside the ticket office may meet passenger needs more flexibly’.
Although use of the Oyster smart card ticketing system is becoming increasingly popular the report discovered that passengers would like clearer information regarding fares and that issues such as peak/off peak fares along with price capping are not fully understood. There is also an element of distrust in the use of contactless and mobile payment technology , with passengers regarding it as too recent and untested.
The research also discovered that passengers expect real-time joined up information and for operators to make more use of apps and social media to keep passengers informed.
Report by Jonathan Webb
