DaveNewcastle
Established Member
From the ORR today:
Poor passenger information in times of disruption has been a repeated complaint from passengers and their representative groups. Whether these 'new licence conditions' will deliver any moe radical improvements over the programmes of progressive enhancements already underway, or not, I'm not at all sure.
I'm well accustomed to 'announcements' such as this being used to make a new story out of established procedures. But I'm sure there are some people who will disagree and inform us of a impressive and genuinely new initiative which will now deliver travel the real-time information we've all been waiting for (perhaps the real-time information that amateur coders will be producing at their own expense thanks to the open-access to the industry's data streams?).
http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.10855Train operators commit to providing appropriate, accurate and timely passenger information
7 March 2012
All train operators have signed-up to new licence conditions aimed at ensuring passengers receive appropriate, accurate and timely information, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) confirmed today.
ORR Chief Executive, Richard Price, said:
“I am pleased that all train companies have now joined other parts of the rail industry by signing-up to new obligations aimed at ensuring passengers receive appropriate, accurate and timely information.
“ORR has repeatedly made clear that rail passengers should receive reliable information so that they can plan journeys and make informed decisions, especially when rail services are disrupted. It is striking that currently only one third of passengers think delays are handled well.
“The provision of good passenger information is a fundamental requirement, not an optional ‘add-on’. Good performers have nothing to fear, but poor performers will not be allowed to undermine the industry as a whole.
"We look forward to working with the rail industry as it gets on with the job of meeting passengers’ expectations, ensuring that train operators, working with station managers and Network Rail, meet the standards set out in their own code of practice on passenger information.”
Poor passenger information in times of disruption has been a repeated complaint from passengers and their representative groups. Whether these 'new licence conditions' will deliver any moe radical improvements over the programmes of progressive enhancements already underway, or not, I'm not at all sure.
I'm well accustomed to 'announcements' such as this being used to make a new story out of established procedures. But I'm sure there are some people who will disagree and inform us of a impressive and genuinely new initiative which will now deliver travel the real-time information we've all been waiting for (perhaps the real-time information that amateur coders will be producing at their own expense thanks to the open-access to the industry's data streams?).