Train Drivers and Engineers Checking Tickets?
 

I've been told that all managers across Irish Rail have been asked to get volunteers from their staff to go out and check tickets on a nightly basis by the new CEO, what are the reasons behind this does anyone know?
Surely all this will do is cause friction between the ticket checkers/RPU and the rest of the staff? Does thsi mean the Ticket Checkers will be driving trains!!!

Good idea you often see the security on the Luas checking tickets from people they know won't have them and kick them off.

Don't see how it will as they can't be on every service everyday, random checkes are the way to go.

This is not a new idea per say. It was looked at previously. For a long time we have held the view that fare evasion was rampant off peak.

There are a few managers and engineers who are trained to drive DART trains...

The RPU accompanied by the Stasi were at Hazelhatch station on Wed. evening all 15 of them, talk about overkill. Of couse every passenger had their ticket. The funny thing about it was that there were two drunks causing trouble on the train and they failed to spot them - A bit like the Kitcat advert with the Panda's.:eek:

Nasty, and vindictive.

There have been numerous incidents of passengers assaulting ticket checking staff so they tend to move around in largish groups.

Also more staff means faster checking

Maybe on late night trains, in ALL the years I have been commuting I had NEVER seen that. Transport police would be more suitable instead of a private army.

well they only target the scum which is great.

It depends what you mean by 'scum', you need to widen your vocabulary.

Manily people who are off thier heads.

I'm wondering are driver + ticket checker really need on services like Ennis-Athenry, especially as stations have ticket machines.

Yes, otherwise people won't buy a ticket!

But surely one driver can check 5 tickets in the space of two hours? :)

Have checked with Irish Rail about this, new CEO has adopted a zero tolerance high impact policy towards fare evasion

Management including CEO have been out checking tickets.

The Broombridge sting operation is doing well...

We have long argued that passengers are the only source of revenue and there should be a firm and highly visible focus on fare evasion which in turn brings significant benefits to the bottom line, discourages anti-social behavour and strengthens customer confidence

Is this a modern management style - surely the cost of this operation greatly outweighs the benefit. I'm a regular commuter, only rarely do I see a fare evader.

Happens most off peak so its worth doing it even if did does cost more.

I've seen the RPU doing checks on my way home last Friday, Monday and Tuesday...

Logical, I suppose, that why our transport system is in the state it is. Most stations (on the Kildare Route) are not manned at weekends. ie they won't pay the staff. Do they count those passengers who can't get a ticket then as fare evaders.

.....and how many fare evaders did they catch.

There are TMV's no excuse...

What about Hazelhatch? Its TMV's are locked inside the building. Only the leap card / smartcard validators are available when there are no staff. Also the shutters on the elevators are closed when there is no staff.

You do not travel this route - the stations are locked up - the grills are down, only a side gate is left open for passengers.

Irish Rail really need to decide if they're going to use manned or unmanned stations - having a mix of the two with inaccessible TVMs is the worst of both worlds.

staff at heuston would know which ones open or closed.

In fact I'm not sure they do, I got off a train in Heuston last Saturday, I had to tell the chap (staff) that Hazelhatch station was locked up - I have the annual ticket. This really sends out the wrong message to passengers, some days they don't need a ticket and other days they do.

Assuming they do (and I don't believe they can accurately say they do), it causes confusion and doubt in customers minds. It's not hard to be consistent and yet the only thing Irish Rail are consistent about is being inconsistent.

Ticket checking Clonsilla
 

About 15 IR personnel at moment checking tickets in Clonsilla (18.00)

Further inquiries in Irish Rail indicates that many head office department heads have been issued with RPU id cards, RPU warrant cards and have received the RPU training course.

Noticeable increase in RPU checks recently. Today, there were 4 at Kildare, 2 on the train and a gang at Heuston all checking tickets.

That's just the tip of the iceberg of what is coming.

Do IE management have any idea how much fare evaders or people who are unable to purchase tickets cost the company every year?

It's overkill I wonder what the cost benfit analysis really is.

On one single train last year a total of 80 people were caught without a valid ticket, they all had tickets but when checked a strange pattern was discovered. RPU had been tipped off in advance based on an internal system which red flagged that train. 8000 euro in fines plus the fare difference

If you have a ticket you have nothing to worry about, if you don't you will be caught. Don't try to run either they have enough staff at each check to give chase now. Cost wise, the large scale checks are part staffed by management so no extra cost.

If we start with the assumption that fare evasion is about 5% of total, that's 1.8 million journeys per year, @ 5 euro for average yield per passenger that's 9 million

Reducing fare evasion from 5% to 4% is worth 1.8 million in increased revenues.

Focus is on
1. Adults with child tickets
2. Social welfare passes
3. Student tickets, no student ID
4. Use of stolen (hot) tickets
5. Sharing of annual tickets

What a scoop, 80 on the one train :eek:
Management should concentrate on getting the trains to run on time, this would also increase revenue, they are losing many passengers on my commuter route, I'm sure the same applies on other routes.
I'm a regular commuter and honestly it's a least 6 months since I've anyone hauled up at any station for not having a ticket. Most people commuting have the Taxsaver ticket. Why should the ordinary compliant commuter be constantly inconvenienced.

Grainne Whale: your gripe is just ridiculous. There is no excuse for cheating the system and no excuse for IE not trying to enforce the rules.

Service quality and punctuality are separate issues: don't try to mix them up with fare evasion.

Either the managers are doing unpaid overtime when on RPU or the work they do is less valuable than checking tickets. Those are odd options.

I've been commuting for a very long time, you get fed up with all crap passengers take from IR. (trains, more often than not, running late only to be held up again by the RPU checks, that is before you get to the validation machines at Heuston -delaying you further). This despite the fact that you have already had your ticket validated to get on the train at your local station. For God's sake all people want is to get to work on time. I have never supported fare evasion. Why don't you just run along now.:D

It's IE approach over the years which has given you this attitude when it comes to ticket checks. (not an attack on you but in general this is the attitude of many) Only people who get on in Dublin City Centre have to have tickets. You can walk on at any other station in the Dublin area without a ticket and a very high chance of getting away with it.

I really would not think so, for the last number of years validation machines are in stations. It's the shoddy service that has given commuters that attitude. If services were improved I can assure peoples attitude would change.

GW: If fare evasion is due to shoddy service, then why does Veolia need such a rigorous enforcement effort on the Luas when it runs a really high-quality service?

I suppose I'd better run along now, here's my bus!