Ticketing Scheme for Public Transport in Greater Manchester

Ticketing Scheme for Public Transport in Greater Manchester

Introduction The Greater Manchester Ticketing Scheme has been developed under powers given to the Authority under Sections 135 to 138 of the Transport Act 2000. The relevant extracts are: Section 135 A local transport authority, or two or more such authorities acting jointly, may make a ticketing scheme covering the whole of any part of their area, or combined area, of they consider that the proposed scheme: Would be in the interests of the public; and Would to any extent implement the policies set out in their bus strategy. A ticketing scheme may not be made unless the authority of authorities have complied with the notice and consultation requirements imposed by section 136. A ticketing scheme is a scheme under which operators of local services of a class specified in it are required to make and implement arrangements under which persons may purchase, in a single transaction, a ticket (or tickets) of any of the descriptions which may be covered by a ticketing scheme and to which the scheme applies The descriptions of tickets which may be covered by a ticketing scheme are: Section 138 Tickets entitling the holder to make more than one journey on particular local services or on local services of a class specified in the scheme (whether or not operated by the same person); Tickets entitling the holder to make a particular journey on two or more local services (whether or not operated by the same person); Where a particular journey could be made on local services provided by any of two or more operators, tickets entitling the holder to make the journey on whichever service the holder chooses; and Tickets entitling the holder to make a journey, or more than one journey, involving both travel on one or more local services and travel on one or more connecting rail or tram services. During any period in which a ticketing scheme is in operation, operators of local services to which the scheme relates must make and implement the arrangements required by the scheme.

The ticketing scheme has been developed in the context of: The Greater Manchester Local Transport Plan; The Greater Manchester Integration Project; The county-wide Quality Partnership Agreement. All of which have an objective of increasing public transport s share of travel within Greater Manchester. Greater Manchester s public transport network is comprehensive and can offer great flexibility to passengers in making their journeys. It is essential that this flexibility and the choice it brings be not constrained by the ticketing system. To contribute to achieving this objective, a ticketing system should enable as many passengers as possible to: Have the option of paying in advance for their travel in order to reduce the time buses spend at stops whilst passengers pay the driver; Be able to buy one ticket for the whole of their journey; Be able to buy travel for a set period of time; Have the option of breaking their journey. This should be achievable regardless of the number of operators or modes of travel involved. Greater Manchester already has a very wide range of inter-operator and inter-modal tickets that are called "System 1", that compares well with those available in other areas outside London. Greater Manchester Travelcards Limited a company owned jointly by bus, train and tram operators and GMPTE, provides these. The company determines the availability and prices of such tickets and the principles of revenue allocation. In recent years, as part of the Integration Project, the range of tickets has been expanded to include day Travelcard tickets. As a result, there is a firm base for building on. The Countywide Quality Partnership Agreement already provides that: The Operators, North Western Trains, Altram and GMTL shall develop, introduce, operate and promote a comprehensive multi-modal, multioperator ticketing system for the purpose of enabling passengers to interchange freely between modes of public transport and operators of services, travelling on a single ticket;

The multi-modal multi-operator ticketing system shall be operated in accordance with the principles set out in the GMTL Agreement providing a range of daily, weekly and monthly tickets enabling passengers to travel freely within the Region on: Any bus; or Any bus or train; or Any bus or tram; or Any train or tram; or Any bus, train or tram. A ticketing system therefore needs to cater for a variety of travel patterns. Some are adequately met by the existing arrangements that are already in place. However, there are gaps that the Authority wishes to fill using its powers under the Transport Act. However, in doing this, the Authority considers that: It is essential that the development of the scheme takes full account of what is achievable in practice; and It should build on the partnership approach that has been developed in Greater Manchester and the Authority s Strategy. Strengths and Weaknesses of Current Ticketing Arrangements Many passengers journey patterns are well served by the existing ticketing system comprising payment of individual cash fares on buses and the GMTL Travelcards. These include: Single journeys that can be completed on one bus; Return journeys that are the mirror of the outward journey and can be made on the same company s buses; Journeys involving more than one bus, or multiple journeys made on one day provided that the cost of the journeys exceeds the price of the day Travelcard; Journeys involving bus and other modes or multiple journeys starting after 0930 hours provided that the cost would exceed the day ticket price; People making sufficient bus, bus and train or bus and tram journeys during a week, month or year, to justify buying a weekly or longer period Travelcard.

However, there are other passengers journey patterns that are not as well served by the existing ticketing system include those made by passengers who: Want to break their journey en route who would have to pay for each leg of the journey unless they had a Travelcard; Make the same single or return journey on a regular basis but not often enough to justify a period Travelcard (e.g. people who work less than five days a week or need to use their car occasionally in connection with work); Regularly make short journeys or journeys in a specific area but cannot benefit from a Travelcard; Want to pay in advance for travel and use it as they wish; Want to, or are forced to, change buses en route, particularly as a result of operators moving towards strategic networks that reduce direct access to sites such as, for example, hospitals; Need to use all three modes on a daily basis. The Scheme The powers given to the Authority to specify a ticketing scheme are a means of helping achieve the objectives of its bus strategy. It is essential, therefore, that the tickets specified in the scheme are achievable in practice and are: Not too complicated for passengers and potential passengers including those from outside greater Manchester to understand we want to avoid creating an over complicated system like that on the rail network; Are easy to understand and operate by the front line staff involved in selling and checking the tickets particularly drivers and travel shop staff. The most logical starting point is the current GMTL scheme. The Authority therefore proposes that all existing System 1 tickets and facilities that are provided by Greater Manchester Travelcards Ltd should be included in the ticketing scheme. This will ensure that all existing and future operators will have to provide these tickets.

The tickets to be specified in the scheme comprise: Travelcards available to any passenger and valid on all bus services within Greater Manchester and included in the Scheme and are available for the following periods; One day One month One year Travelcards available to 16-21 year olds and valid on all bus services within Greater Manchester and included in the Scheme and are available for the following periods; One year Travelcards available to 5-15 year olds entitled to GMPTE travel concessions and valid on all bus services within Greater Manchester and included in the Scheme for the following periods; One month Travelcards available to Senior Citizens entitled to GMPTE travel concessions and valid on all bus services within Greater Manchester and included in the Scheme for the following periods; One day Travelcards that are available to any passenger but only in combination with an eligible train or season ticket and valid on all bus services within Greater Manchester and included in the Scheme for the following periods; One month Travelcards available to any passenger and valid for travel on all bus services and all local train services in Greater Manchester and on in the Central Zone for the following periods; One month One year

Travelcards available to any passenger and valid for one day on all bus and train services within Greater Manchester and included in the Scheme after 0930 on Mondays to Fridays and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. Travelcards available to any passenger and valid for one day on all bus and services within Greater Manchester and included in the Scheme after 0930 on Mondays to Fridays and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. Travelcards available to any passenger and valid for one day on all bus, train and services within Greater Manchester and included in the Scheme after 0930 on Mondays to Fridays and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. services to be included in the scheme It is proposed that all local bus services that both pick up and set down passengers in Greater Manchester will be included in the Scheme. If operators of any such service consider that it would not be appropriate for specific services to be included in the Scheme they should set out in their response to the consultation: Full details of the services concerned The reasons for not including them in the Scheme Future Developments The Authority also recognises that the introduction of Smartcard based ticketing in the next year or so should also open up new opportunities for tickets that will also help to meet the weaknesses of the present ticketing systems that are ultimately based on a paper ticket. As such the Authority intends to review this ticketing scheme to coincide with the general introduction of Smartcards. The Authority will also be consulting with neighbouring authorities on the potential for cross-boundary ticketing.

Current range of GMTL tickets July 2003 Ticket Modes Period of validity Eligibility Adult bus Young persons Year Year Day Day Junior bus 16-21 year olds 5-15 year olds Senior day buscard Senior weekly card County bus and train Day GMPTE concession holders GMPTE concession holders Local rail City zone Year and train day and day Local rail City zone Day Day Train and day Local rail Day train and day Local Rail Day card extra Holders of adult rail or season tickets costing at least 10.50 per week or 40.00 per month. Can only be used with season ticket.