The
Office
of
Rail
and
Road
says
improvements
are
needed
to
revenue
protection,
making
it
more
consistent,
fairer
and
effective.
There
have
been
many
reports
of
heavy-handed
incidents.
For
example,
a
young
passenger
accidentally
chose
the
wrong
railcard
when
buying
a
ticket,
and
although
the
discount
was
the
same
and
she
could
produce
her
railcard,
she
was
penalised
by
a
revenue
protection
inspector
for
her
error.
A
detailed
review
commissioned
by
the
government
has
revealed
the
flaws
in
the
current
system,
which
the
ORR
says
is
not
working
in
the
interests
of
passengers,
operators
or
taxpayers.
Research
for
the
report
found
that
there
is
‘significant
inconsistency’
in
revenue
protection
methods,
and
that
passengers
are
treated
very
differently
by
various
operators.
One
major
problem
is
that
passengers
can
be
confused
by
the
complexity
of
the
rules,
while
many
do
not
understand
their
rights
if
they
are
accused
of
fraud.
The
reforms
set
out
in
the
report
include
making
buying
the
right
ticket
simpler
and
easier,
with
much
more
clarity
about
restrictions,
the
use
of
railcards
and
which
routes
are
permitted.
Operators
are
also
being
told
that
the
rules
should
be
consistent
everywhere
on
National
Rail,
and
that
when
passengers
are
accused
of
irregular
travel
they
should
be
treated
consistently,
with
revenue
inspectors
concentrating
on
those
cases
where
there
is
evidence
of
an
intention
to
avoid
paying
the
right
fare
rather
than
an
innocent
mistake.
Operators
are
also
being
urged
to
introduce
greater
consistency
and
fairness
in
the
use
of
prosecutions.
The
transport
secretary
and
Department
for
Transport
will
now
consider
the
recommendations.
The
ORR’s
director
of
strategy,
policy
and
reform
Stephanie
Tobyn
said:
‘Effective
revenue
protection
is
essential
for
a
sustainable
railway,
but
it
must
be
fair
and
proportionate
for
passengers.
Our
recommendations
aim
to
protect
both
industry
revenue
and
support
passenger
confidence.
‘Our
evidence
shows
a
system
that
has
evolved
over
time
where
the
legal
framework
and
enforcement
processes
are
increasingly
complex
and
appear
weighted
towards
industry,
leaving
some
passengers
who
make
innocent
errors
vulnerable
to
disproportionate
outcomes.
But
meanwhile,
fare
evasion
remains
a
significant
problem,
and
rigorous
action
should
be
taken
against
those
who
intentionally
seek
to
defraud
the
railway.’
Rail
minister
Lord
Hendy
said:
‘This
report
shows
that
decades
of
failed
privatisation
have
created
a
mess
of
deep-rooted
issues
across
our
railways,
which
have
been
left
unchallenged
and
are
now
causing
chaos
and
frustration
for
passengers.
‘Through
the
creation
of
Great
British
Railways,
we’re
bringing
operators
together
to
establish
oversight
and
better
standardise
practices,
putting
an
end
to
inconsistent
prosecutions
and
making
sure
passengers
are
treated
fairly.
‘Deliberate
fare-dodging
costs
the
taxpayer
up
to
£400
million
annually,
but
ham-fisted
prosecutions
that
punish
people
who
have
made
an
innocent
mistake
is
not
the
way
to
do
this.
We
will
look
at
this
report
in
detail
and
set
out
what
we’ll
be
doing
to
address
the
issues
raised
in
due
course.’
The
Rail
Delivery
Group,
which
represents
operators,
said:
‘We
welcome
the
ORR’s
sensible
recommendations
to
standardise
revenue-protection
practices,
remove
complexity
and
improve
transparency
for
customers.
The
rail
industry
will
work
on
implementing
the
recommendations
in
line
with
our
plans
to
create
a
simpler,
better-value
fares
system.
‘Fare
evasion
remains
a
significant
challenge
for
the
industry,
costing
the
railway
hundreds
of
millions
of
pounds
each
year.
That’s
money
that
can’t
be
used
to
improve
services,
which
increases
the
burden
on
customers
and
taxpayers.
So
we
need
to
strike
the
right
balance
addressing
genuine,
honest
mistakes
made
by
customers
and
taking
firm
action
against
those
who
deliberately
and
persistently
seek
to
exploit
the
system.
‘The
rail
industry
is
taking
concrete
steps
to
simplify
fares,
ticketing
and
retail
which
will
lay
the
foundation
for
GBR
to
adopt
and
build
upon,
ensuring
revenue-protection
practices
are
proportionate,
transparent,
and
customer-focused.’
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