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insidecroydon · 6 days ago

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Watchdog in call to keep bus fares low and to speed up routes

A report by London TravelWatch, the capital’s independent transport watchdog, is urging widespread improvements to the capital’s bus service, including helping to speed up routes and keeping fares low The next stop: Superloop routes are commended in London TravelWatch’s report London TravelWatch said London’s bus network is “lifeline” to millions of Londoners, but it needs “urgent improvement” to…

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#Bromley #Croydon #Lambeth #London Buses #London TravelWatch #Sutton #TfL #Transport for London

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equalityvoices · 10 months ago

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Increasing Concerns Over LGBTQ+ Safety on London Public Transport

A recent survey conducted by London TravelWatch has brought to light a disturbing reality for LGBTQ+ individuals using public transport in London. The study, involving 600 participants, revealed that one in five LGBTQ+ people experienced abuse on public transport over the past year. This alarming statistic underscores the persistent threat of violence and harassment faced by this community.

Bystander Apathy Adds to the Trauma

The survey further highlighted a concerning trend of bystander inaction. Ash Morgan, a 28-year-old Londoner, shared a harrowing experience of being physically assaulted on a train at Clapham South. The indifference of fellow passengers, who neither offered help nor showed compassion, exacerbated his trauma. Morgan’s experience reflects a broader pattern of bystander apathy that adds to the distress of victims.

Forced Changes in Behavior and Appearance

A staggering four out of five respondents admitted to altering their behavior or appearance to blend in and avoid conflict. Ash Morgan himself confessed to avoiding bright clothes and refraining from wearing pronoun pins on public transport, as a precaution against potential harassment.

Reporting Incidents: A Path Filled with Disappointment

The reluctance of victims to report incidents is another significant issue. Despite Ash Morgan’s effort to report his assault, including providing the carriage number and time, he was discouraged from doing so and informed that an investigation was unlikely. This experience is not isolated, as many LGBTQ+ people express little confidence in the police, leading to underreporting of incidents.

A Call for Greater Safety and Inclusivity

Michael Roberts, CEO of London TravelWatch, expressed concern over the increasing perception of London as a less safe city, especially for the LGBTQ+ community. This sentiment challenges the notion of London as a tolerant and diverse global city.

Initiatives and Commitments to Counter Hate Crimes

In response to these concerns, Siwan Hayward, Director of Security, Policing, and Enforcement at Transport for London, emphasized their commitment to protecting all passengers from harm. Initiatives include campaigns against hate and abusive behavior and collaboration with LGBTQ+ groups to address these issues.

Similarly, Det Ch Supt Paul Furnell of the British Transport Police assured that preventing and tackling hate crime is a top priority. The force works closely with LGBTQ+ charities and employs visible patrols and dedicated operations, along with extensive CCTV coverage, to ensure safety and swift response to hate crimes.

The findings and responses highlight a critical need for more effective measures to ensure the safety and dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals in public spaces, reinforcing the call for a more inclusive and secure urban environment.

©equalityvoices.org

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railsistem · 1 month ago

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ORR'nin Euston kararı 'inanılmaz' diyor denetçi

Ulaştırma gözlemcisi London TravelWatch, Londra Euston'ın güvenliği hakkında alevlenen yeni bir tartışmanın ortasında Demiryolu ve Karayolu Ofisi'nin kararını 'inanılmaz' olarak nitelendirdi. Bir gazeteci, burayı 'Batı Avrupa'nın en kötü ana istasyonu' olarak nitelendirdi. Kaynak

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olko71 · 1 year ago

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New Post has been published on All about business online

New Post has been published on https://yaroreviews.info/2023/10/plans-to-close-rail-ticket-offices-in-england-scrapped

Plans to close rail ticket offices in England scrapped

Leon Neal

By Katy Austin & Sam Gruet

BBC Business

Plans to close hundreds of rail ticket offices in England have been scrapped.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the government had asked train operators to withdraw their proposals because they failed to meet high passenger standards.

However, a source told the BBC rail bosses were “furious”, saying the original plans had been approved by the Department for Transport.

The proposals had sparked concerns from unions and disability groups.

The plans were put forward by train operators as a way to save money. They had come under pressure from the government to cut costs after being supported heavily during the Covid pandemic.

Train companies said that only 12% of tickets were now bought at station kiosks.

But passenger watchdogs Transport Focus and London Travelwatch objected to the proposals, saying they had received 750,000 responses from individuals and organisations in a public consultation.

These included “powerful and passionate concerns” about the potential changes, they said.

The watchdogs said they had secured significant changes, including getting companies to revert to existing times for when staff would be available at many stations.

However, serious concerns remained, including ticket machine capability, accessibility and how passenger assistance and information would be delivered in the future.

Plans to close ticket offices ‘go too far, too fast’

Backlash delays rail ticket office closure plans

In September, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said closing ticket offices was “the right thing for the British public and British taxpayers” as “only one in 10 tickets are sold currently in ticket offices”.

But MPs had warned in a letter last week that the plans went “too far, too fast”.

Announcing the decision to reverse the closures, Mr Harper said the government had made it “clear to the rail industry throughout the process that any resulting proposals must meet a high threshold of serving passengers”.

“The proposals that have resulted from this process do not meet the high thresholds set by ministers, and so the government has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals.”

However, the decision to backtrack on the plans has caused anger among train bosses, a senior rail source told the BBC.

“They have been made to sell these plans, defend them and change them to try and get them over the line. All in the face of the inevitable onslaught of criticism.

“All of these plans were approved by officials and ministers at the DfT. To say they fell short of their expectations is totally disingenuous,” the source said.

Labour’s shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh called it “shambolic” and a “humiliating climbdown”, saying the cancelled plans had been “a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money”.

The RMT union described Tuesday’s decision as a victory, while TSSA – the union representing rail ticket office workers – said it was delighted.

The planned closures were the latest flashpoint between train companies and unions in their long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions.

It led to several protests and threats of legal challenges from disability campaigners and from five Labour metro mayors.

But the body representing train companies, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), consistently defended the proposals.

Natasha Winter, who led a campaign to keep her local ticket office in Stourbridge open, said she was “thrilled” the government had listened.

She said ticket office workers provide an” invaluable service” and that people “trust and rely on them”.

“They’re at the heart of our community,” she said.

The RDG said the closure plans that had been put forward were about the “changing needs of customers in the smartphone era” and the “significant financial challenge” following the pandemic.

It said it would continue to look at other ways to “improve passenger experience while delivering value for the taxpayer”.

Disability campaigners called the result “bittersweet”.

Transport for All, a disabled-led organisation, called it “the best possible outcome”, but added that while the government was “eventually swayed, it is appalling that disabled people’s concerns were dismissed for so long”.

More on this story

Plans to close ticket offices ‘go too far, too fast’

23 October

Rail ticket office closure consultation extended

26 July

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naturalviewofhealth · 1 year ago

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UK gov response to the closure of train ticket offices.

Despite getting over 100000 signatures NOT to close ticket offices, and they are not saying how many signatures over the 100000 they actually got, I think it could have been 200000, they have responded in their capacity as wet sponges and are cowtowing to industry clamour for cheaper costs and collapsing any opposition….despite an obvious concern by the travelling public. Let’s remember at 2024 election! The Government has responded to the petition you signed – “Require train operators keep ticket offices and platform staff at train stations”.

Government responded:

The rail industry has consulted on plans to modernise to provide the service passengers deserve, moving staff from behind ticket office screens to provide help and advice in customer-focused roles.

Together with the rail industry, we want to improve and modernise the experience for passengers by moving staff out from behind the ticket office screens to provide more help and advice in customer-focused roles in the station. No currently staffed station will become unstaffed as a result of this reform, with staff still being there to provide assistance and additional support at stations for those who need and want it. This would include providing assistance in purchasing tickets and providing customer information. When consulting, train operators were required to follow the rules set out in the rail industry’s Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA), and the Government has no role unless objections are referred to the Secretary of State for a decision. We do not therefore plan to require train operators to keep ticket offices and platform staff at train stations.

There has been a significant shift in the way passengers purchase tickets, with just one in every ten transactions taking place at a ticket office in 2022/23, down from one in three a decade earlier. This is equivalent to 13% of revenue in 2022/23. Train operators have therefore consulted on proposals to close ticket offices and move staff out onto stations where they can provide support to passenger where this is needed.

The public consultations on proposed ticket office changes have now closed. The independent passenger bodies, Transport Focus and London TravelWatch, are engaging with train operators on the basis of the consultation responses they have received and the criteria they have set out on how they will consider their responses. Train operators are expected to work collaboratively with passenger bodies in the coming weeks to listen to the concerns raised and to refine their proposals accordingly.

Should ticket offices close following this process, staff would be redeployed and multi-skilled in order to provide advice and assistance across stations. Exact arrangements will vary operator by operator and will be the subject of collective bargaining with the trade unions.

Department for Transport

#train ticket offices

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hillingdontoday · 2 years ago

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More than 1.5 million Londoners left behind by digital-first approach to transport

Transport watchdog London TravelWatch have published a report revealing that many Londoners are being left behind by digital technology. 1 in 6 people in London say they are unable to buy a ticket as they can’t use or don’t have access to a smartphone or internet connection, the equivalent of more than 1.5 million Londoners. A further 1 in 5 Londoners said that they have paid more for travel because they are not able to buy tickets online or by using mobile apps. The impact of this is particularly significant, given the current cost of living crisis, with rocketing utility bills and food prices. These ‘left behind Londoners’ feel cut off from using public transport because they are digitally excluded or disadvantaged. Compared to Londoners overall, they are typically older (55+), more likely to be Disabled people and have a lower income. These characteristics often overlap, creating multiple barriers for Londoners who just want to get around the capital freely. #london #leftbehind #digitalfirst #transport #unable #buyaticket #smartphone #internetconnection #online #mobileapp #app #costofliving #crisis #older #disabled #lowincome #barriers #disadvantage #vulnerable #accessible #affordable #inclusive Read the full article

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sronti · 3 years ago

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"At present, the average London bus manages a measly 9.3mph, largely due to congestion. By 'freeing buses' using measures such as bus gates, 24 hour bus lanes and clearer segregation of buses and cyclists, the association believes speeds of 10.3mph could be reached."

Én még mindig nem értem miért nem szüntetik meg a buszmegállók kétharmadát Londonban. Tényleg húsz méterenként kell egy megálló?

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ourjewelrywatchboxesfactory-blog · 5 years ago

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ring boxes We do your color and logo—customer style Sales world—-and shipping world! #watch #watchbox #jewelry #jewelry #jewelrydesgin #jewelryart #jewelryaddict #jewelryschool #jewelryinspiration #jewelryblogger #jewelrylovers #beautiful #sliver #gold #jewelrystore #travel #israel #london #paris #spain #usa #newyork #aujewelry #england #football #time #necklace #pendants #traveljewelry #travelwatch (at New York, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ljkS2gK8v/?igshid=qukvob9m2yb7

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travelonlinetips-blog · 6 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://travelonlinetips.com/more-people-are-using-cars-and-taxis-to-reach-key-london-airports-than-public-transport-2/

More people are using cars and taxis to reach key London airports than public transport

The number of travellers using public transport to get to key London airports has fallen between 2012 and 2016, according to a new report.

The data, from transport consumer group London TravelWatch, shows that more people now either drive or get a taxi to catch a flight from Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airports.

The report, Way to go: Improving public transport access to London’s airports, shows that the share of passengers using public transport to get to Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airports has fallen from 41 per cent, 44 per cent and 33 per cent respectively in 2012 to 39.1 per cent, 43.6 per cent and 31.4 per cent respectively four years later.

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Meanwhile, the percentage of travellers using taxis to get to Heathrow increased from 26 per cent to 31.5 per cent between 2010 and 2016, which London TravelWatch attributes to the growth of taxi-hailing apps such as Uber.

London TravelWatch argues that the public transport links to these airports are “not good enough” to cater for the current or future demand of air travel. It has proposed improving interchanges, extending Oyster and contactless payments on National Rail services and increasing the acceptance of contactless payments on local buses outside London.

Meanwhile, just 200 miles away London is celebrating 14 years of the Oyster card, and three years of Contactless payment.

John Moorhouse of watchdog TravelWatch NorthWest, has today described Get Me There as the ‘new symbol of the north-south divide’.

Calling for more investment in public transport, he added: “Whether it’s electrification, the quality of our trains, our buses, or this, we are lagging behind because for too long public transport in the north has not been prioritised.”

The issue surrounds the limitations of the new Get Me There scheme

Users can only buy bus and tram tickets for their card - rather than topping up a balance as you would with an Oyster. Meanwhile, contactless payment - well-established in London - feels like a pipe dream here.

So why are we so far behind?

Transport for London formed an early partnership with ticketing contractor Cubic Transportation - also behind Sydney’s smart scheme.

And as far back as 2003, when the first Oyster was hot off the press, they were looking ahead and researching how to bring in Contactless payment.

Meanwhile, we were still using paper tickets.

A contactless system will be in place on the trams by 2019

Nine years later, passengers in London could pass their credit card over a scanner on all buses. By 2014, it was rolled out on tube and rail.

You can now use 100 different international credit cards or your Oyster card to bleep your way across London’s Underground, local rail network, buses, trams and even Thames Clipper ferries.

Costing more than £1bn, the London system hasn’t been cheap for the taxpayer.

But such is its success they are now looking to sell the intellectual property rights across the world - so the partnership is likely to be financially rewarding.

Back to Manchester, where progress has been both slow and chequered.

Transport bosses blame less funding than London - and the fact that a firm they hired to take the scheme forward didn’t work out.

Atos took on the project in 2012, when transport bosses said it would be ‘different to the Oyster’ because passengers would be able to ‘use bank cards, bus passes and mobile phones to pay for ticketless journeys’.

Coun Andrew Fender, chairman of the TfGM Committee said at the time: “We knew that people would expect our scheme to be like Oyster, but both life and technology have moved on since its introduction.”

But after a series of delays, Atos was ditched and handed £15m back to TfGM. With no track record of delivering a smart travel system, it’s not known why they had been chosen.

Graham Stringer, MP for Blackley and Broughton

But this alone can’t fully explain why transport bosses have been ‘trying and failing’ to get a travel card up and running since the 90s.

MP Graham stringer says TfGM have had 'genuine issues' - but also reckons they could have handled the process better. In particular, he feels they could have worked harder to get bus firms to co-operate towards a genuinely cohesive scheme.

Challenging, because here buses are run by different operators while in London they operate under one body. He also feels money used to subsidise the buses under the current system could have been put towards smart ticketing had bosses been handed Greater transport powers sooner.

He added: “If you look at the money we waste on subsidising bus services - on average every bus that leaves the depot is half-subsidised by the taxpayer - we could have used that for our smart ticketing.

"Andy Burnham the new mayor of Manchester needs to ensure as quickly as possible that our service is as good as London’s if not better.”

TfGM insist they are now back on track. And the Bus Bill, which will give Andy Burnham more power over the buses, could accelerate their progress.

They say the current Get Me There for buses and trams has cost far less than the £15m handed back by Atos.

A contactless system will be in place on the trams by 2019, and across buses and trains by 2021 - and hopefully across the north thereafter.

A TfGM spokesman described the project as ‘complex’, adding: “We’ve been working hard to develop Get Me there since the contract with ATOS was terminated. get me there is being developed incrementally and this launch is a further step in a journey towards delivering a fully integrated smart system across the city region and beyond.”

The contactless system will be in place on the buses by 2021

He said the Oyster doesn’t adhere to ‘current smart ticketing standards’, which had a £1bn budget and ‘isn’t interchangeable with other schemes’.

Get Me There, he added, is compatible with the M Card in Yorkshire, Walrus in Liverpool, Pop card in North East and Swift in Midlands. - which can already be used to upload Greater Manchester bus tickets.

He said they were working with Transport for the North and other city regions to explore ways of connecting Northern cities to deliver ‘seamless integrated ticketing’.

He added: “This is a significant challenge, requiring pan-northern cooperation and significant investment. “

Summing it up, a TfGM insider told the Manchester Evening News: “We’re not where we want to be but we are where we are.”

Not quite as catchy as ‘Get Me There’ - but perhaps more fitting.

Source

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/take-until-2021-proper-transport-13423713

from http://taxi.nearme.host/why-will-it-take-until-2021-for-us-to-get-a-correct-transportation-ticket-system-like-they-have-in-london/

from NOVACAB - Blog http://novacabtaxi.weebly.com/blog/why-will-it-take-until-2021-for-us-to-get-a-correct-transportation-ticket-system-like-they-have-in-london

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kevingbakeruk · 7 years ago

Text

Why will it take until 2021 for us to get a correct transportation ticket system like they have in London?

It was with great fanfare that the new and improved ‘Get Me There’ card was unveiled to the travelling public this week.

Finally, a smart card that can be used on Greater Manchester’s trams AND buses .

Passengers will be able to view, buy and upload single and season tickets online, instead of having to carry cash and queue at machines.

All very impressive…if it were 2005.

You only have to look to London to see how far we are lagging behind. We’re already bruised by the knowledge that London gets £2,595 per person in publicly-funded transport investment versus £99 in the north-west.

And now it’s emerged we won’t be getting contactless payment on trams until 2019. Trains and buses should follow by 2021.

Meanwhile, just 200 miles away London is celebrating 14 years of the Oyster card, and three years of Contactless payment.

John Moorhouse of watchdog TravelWatch NorthWest, has today described Get Me There as the ‘new symbol of the north-south divide’.

Calling for more investment in public transport, he added: “Whether it’s electrification, the quality of our trains, our buses, or this, we are lagging behind because for too long public transport in the north has not been prioritised.”

The issue surrounds the limitations of the new Get Me There scheme

Users can only buy bus and tram tickets for their card - rather than topping up a balance as you would with an Oyster. Meanwhile, contactless payment - well-established in London - feels like a pipe dream here.

So why are we so far behind?

Transport for London formed an early partnership with ticketing contractor Cubic Transportation - also behind Sydney’s smart scheme.

And as far back as 2003, when the first Oyster was hot off the press, they were looking ahead and researching how to bring in Contactless payment.

Meanwhile, we were still using paper tickets.

A contactless system will be in place on the trams by 2019

Nine years later, passengers in London could pass their credit card over a scanner on all buses. By 2014, it was rolled out on tube and rail.

You can now use 100 different international credit cards or your Oyster card to bleep your way across London’s Underground, local rail network, buses, trams and even Thames Clipper ferries.

Costing more than £1bn, the London system hasn’t been cheap for the taxpayer.

But such is its success they are now looking to sell the intellectual property rights across the world - so the partnership is likely to be financially rewarding.

Back to Manchester, where progress has been both slow and chequered.

Transport bosses blame less funding than London - and the fact that a firm they hired to take the scheme forward didn’t work out.

Atos took on the project in 2012, when transport bosses said it would be ‘different to the Oyster’ because passengers would be able to ‘use bank cards, bus passes and mobile phones to pay for ticketless journeys’.

Coun Andrew Fender, chairman of the TfGM Committee said at the time: “We knew that people would expect our scheme to be like Oyster, but both life and technology have moved on since its introduction.”

But after a series of delays, Atos was ditched and handed £15m back to TfGM. With no track record of delivering a smart travel system, it’s not known why they had been chosen.

Graham Stringer, MP for Blackley and Broughton

But this alone can’t fully explain why transport bosses have been ‘trying and failing’ to get a travel card up and running since the 90s.

MP Graham stringer says TfGM have had ‘genuine issues’ - but also reckons they could have handled the process better. In particular, he feels they could have worked harder to get bus firms to co-operate towards a genuinely cohesive scheme.

Challenging, because here buses are run by different operators while in London they operate under one body. He also feels money used to subsidise the buses under the current system could have been put towards smart ticketing had bosses been handed Greater transport powers sooner.

He added: “If you look at the money we waste on subsidising bus services - on average every bus that leaves the depot is half-subsidised by the taxpayer - we could have used that for our smart ticketing.

“Andy Burnham the new mayor of Manchester needs to ensure as quickly as possible that our service is as good as London’s if not better.”