1968 Cheapest Rail Fare act?

[HST43277]

I work in a ticket office for a TOC.
I just wondered if anyone knew of such an act? I was quoted this by a passenger today when enquiring about split tickets saying its my responsibilty to find the cheapest fare using split tickets. I havent been told this by my employer, but he quoted something about this 1968 act?
many thanks.

 

[najaB]

I just wondered if anyone knew of such an act? I was quoted this by a passenger today when enquiring about split tickets saying its my responsibilty to find the cheapest fare using split tickets.

I've never heard of it. As far as I know it's your responsibility to offer the cheapest appropriate ticket for the passenger's journey. There is no obligation to offer split tickets.

 

[Jonfun]

I'm fairly sure that law doesn't exist. If it does, I have never ever heard of it being enforced, so I think you're safe from a spell in Strangeways for the time being.

 

[Hadders]

If it did exist, I think forum members might have mentioned it and taken advantage of it a few times...

 

[bolli]

I work in a ticket office for a TOC.
I just wondered if anyone knew of such an act? I was quoted this by a passenger today when enquiring about split tickets saying its my responsibilty to find the cheapest fare using split tickets. I havent been told this by my employer, but he quoted something about this 1968 act?
many thanks.

Doesn't exist at all.

There is a British Railways act of 1968, however is more to do with Land purchases (and led to some rather interesting legal shenanigans later!)

The General Public talk [expletive] sometimes.... :roll:

 

[benk1342]

A cursory search of legislation.gov.uk turned up nothing.

 

[bb21]

Some passengers like to trot out any old rubbish to get what they want.

I think you can safely file him in that pile.

There is no obligation on ticket office staff to find split tickets for the passenger whatsoever. If he wants to save money that way, he'll have to do his own homework.

 

[northwichcat]

1968 is when the price per mile formula was abandoned but there's no act called The Cheapest Rail Fares Act.

 

[AlterEgo]

Fella was lying to you. Absolutely no such thing!

 

[northwichcat]

There is no obligation to offer split tickets.

Doesn't it now depend on the route and whether the passenger has to change trains?

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train companies, has today confirmed that a number of trials on routes between London and Sheffield, and London and Scotland, will take place. These are to test options such as offering the cheapest price for a combination of tickets if you have to change trains, 'airline-style' mix-and-match ticketing and removing outdated fares from the system.
...
"The changes do include split-ticketing, but only where you change train. And most of the big ticket train savings come where you don't change – literally where you get on a train and have two, or three, or four, or 15 tickets for the constituent parts of the journey, rather than one ticket.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ne...s---but-plans-miss-a-trick-on-split-ticketing

 

[bb21]

Not at ticket offices, or it will be mayhem at peak times. Likely to be online only.

It is a stupid idea anyway.

 

[najaB]

Doesn't it now depend on the route and whether the passenger has to change trains?

Those trials only apply to certain routes and, to the best of my knowledge, haven't started yet.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

TOCs do have to offer impartial retailing, and offer the best fare for the requested route and time of travel.
They do not (yet) have to go into split ticketing, but they must issue multiple tickets if specifically requested (the risk is then with the passenger, not the TOC).
Isn't it in the RDG Code of Conduct for TOCs (ie industry practice, not legislation)?
Changes are in prospect with the experimental tickets just being introduced on sample routes.

 

[Joe Paxton]

I work in a ticket office for a TOC.
I just wondered if anyone knew of such an act? I was quoted this by a passenger today when enquiring about split tickets saying its my responsibilty to find the cheapest fare using split tickets. I havent been told this by my employer, but he quoted something about this 1968 act?
many thanks.

Did he also mention the Carriage of Spaghetti Trees by Railway Act 1957?

 

[Gareth Marston]

Unfortunately a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, people are convinced there's a split ticket option for every journey which of course their isn't. I had two female customers insist I split a day return to Birmingham from Newtown at Shrewsbury they refused to believe when I told them it would cost them more £.

The other favourites that are often tried I see are expecting an automatic discount by saying their a senior, child fares until 18th birthday - usually the parent who tries this, asking for their Cambrian railcard to be used for discount on a journey to London, expecting the winter Welsh Government concession for the deep rural lines to apply all year round from Newtown and saying it was cheaper on line when I checked last night this usually turns out to be an AP price or expecting the day return price instead of the off peak one.

 

[RJ]

I work in a ticket office for a TOC.
I just wondered if anyone knew of such an act? I was quoted this by a passenger today when enquiring about split tickets saying its my responsibilty to find the cheapest fare using split tickets. I havent been told this by my employer, but he quoted something about this 1968 act?
many thanks.

Nonsense. Politely, but firmly explain to these people that it's their responsibility to undertake research on split ticketing.

 

[HST43277]

TOCs do have to offer impartial retailing, and offer the best fare for the requested route and time of travel.
They do not (yet) have to go into split ticketing, but they must issue multiple tickets if specifically requested (the risk is then with the passenger, not the TOC).
Isn't it in the RDG Code of Conduct for TOCs (ie industry practice, not legislation)?
Changes are in prospect with the experimental tickets just being introduced on sample routes.

He requested split tickets but for me to find them, a lot of people come in and they know what they want and ask for it he was being lazy and pompous, apparently talking to my colleagues he's a lawyer and he's a nasty piece of work.

 

[HST43277]

Nonsense. Politely, but firmly explain to these people that it's their responsibility to undertake research on split ticketing.

I tried to but he's a lawyer and was talking down to me.

 

[najaB]

I tried to but he's a lawyer and was talking down to me.

Doesn't make him right though.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Well next times he in HST43277 you know he a Lawyer that tells lies...

 

[philthetube]

If you see him again tell hi you will be happy to oblige when he brings in a copy of the act, assuming he fails to do this tell all your colleagues to also ask for it on every visit, regardless of whether he asks for a split or not, watching him squirm will be enjoyable.

 

[yorkie]

I work in a ticket office for a TOC.
I just wondered if anyone knew of such an act? I was quoted this by a passenger today when enquiring about split tickets saying its my responsibilty to find the cheapest fare using split tickets. I havent been told this by my employer, but he quoted something about this 1968 act?
many thanks.

There is no such legislation.

It is difficult to find the cheapest combination of tickets (I've lost count of the number of people I've spoken to who were working on such systems and who gave up as they realised it was more complex than they thought), but the new Trainsplit (version 2) site does a good job of this, and should be launched soon.

Maybe one day it could be a requirement for ticket offices to use a version of it, but we are a long way off that for now.

 

[Tetchytyke]

apparently talking to my colleagues he's a lawyer and he's a nasty piece of work.

Well, he says he is. I'd not be surprised if he made that up too.

"Cheapest Fares Act 1968"?

I'm not laughing at you, good on you for asking if you're told something you'd never heard of rather than dismissing it out of hand. You should be proud for doing your job properly. Don't let some pompous arse like him get to you!

 

[bb21]

I tried to but he's a lawyer and was talking down to me.

Maybe he was the same lawyer who told me it was illegal to dispatch a train 30 seconds before departure time.

 

[pdeaves]

"If you're a lawyer, you should know better than that". I know, I know, it's usually best not to be confrontational.

 

[northwichcat]

Maybe he was the same lawyer who told me it was illegal to dispatch a train 30 seconds before departure time.

I wonder if he goes on holiday to Spain where some RENFE services can leave smaller stations up to 2 minutes before scheduled departure.

To be fair I've never seen any warning that a (UK) train might depart before it's scheduled departure time, only that the doors might be closed 30/40 seconds before departure (depending on which operator it is.)

 

[The Quincunx]

Even if there had been such an Act (which there wasn't), it's very likely that it would have been repealed or amended by any or all of the Railways Act 1993, the Transport Act 2000 and the Railways Act 2005.

 

[AlterEgo]

I tried to but he's a lawyer and was talking down to me.

Was he a lawyer or did he just say he was a lawyer?

 

[6Gman]

I wonder if he appeared on our Disputes & Prosecutions section when he was training?

 

[CheesyChips]

Did he also mention the Carriage of Spaghetti Trees by Railway Act 1957?

Recently amended to make provision for ravioli