Are ticket inspectors exempt from Social Distancing regulations?

[easyken]

There was a man checking tickets at Macclesfield, and therefore not sticking to Social Distancing regulations.

The other day he caught somebody who had got on at Poynton without a ticket, a much need £4.50* in the coffers.

Surely this shouldn't be happening at the moment?!



*plus admin obviously

 

[221129]

There was a man checking tickets at Macclesfield, and therefore not sticking to Social Distancing regulations.

The other day he caught somebody who had got on at Poynton without a ticket, a much need £4.50* in the coffers.

Surely this shouldn't be happening at the moment?!



*plus admin obviously

What 'regulations' are you referring to? It is only advice to maintain a 6ft gap between people. So it would be down to the TOC or individual concerned.

 

[Bletchleyite]

What 'regulations' are you referring to? It is only advice to maintain a 6ft gap between people. So it would be down to the TOC or individual concerned.

It's strong enough advice that it's not acceptable for people to be wilfully not following it. I cannot see any justification for TOCs doing revenue at the moment other than at gatelines where most checks are not done by a person. Guards really need to be in the back cab, or on units where this isn't possible e.g. 195s some of the unit should be taped off as a guard's area.

 

[LowLevel]

What 'regulations' are you referring to? It is only advice to maintain a 6ft gap between people. So it would be down to the TOC or individual concerned.

Our place has made it quite clear in writing that any employee failing to maintain social distancing is liable to be in receipt of a form 1 for breaching safety policies.

Elsewhere though I believe some TOCs are still having manual ticket checks- I believe TPE are the most commented upon for saying conductors should still be undertaking revenue duties.

There isn't really any excuse for it though I'm not looking forward to trying to convince scrotes they need to pay again when it's all over when they've got used to riding for free. That being said I still see a reasonable number of people using ticket vending machines.

 

[221129]

It's strong enough advice that it's not acceptable for people to be wilfully not following it. I cannot see any justification for TOCs doing revenue at the moment other than at gatelines where most checks are not done by a person. Guards really need to be in the back cab, or on units where this isn't possible e.g. 195s some of the unit should be taped off as a guard's area.

That is YOUR opinion. However with the lack of ticket checks Anti Social behavior has rocketed on services. To the extent it's actually worse than it has ever been on the services I work. You can social distance whilst checking tickets on an almost empty train but the extent of the ASB is a far greater risk to key workers than a ticket check will ever be.

 

[221129]

Our place has made it quite clear in writing that any employee failing to maintain social distancing is liable to be in receipt of a form 1 for breaching safety policies.

How does that work in the event of a problem or emergency then? I would imagine any form of disciplinary action would be quashed quite quickly if they tried it on.

 

[PHILIPE]

There was a man checking tickets at Macclesfield, and therefore not sticking to Social Distancing regulations.

The other day he caught somebody who had got on at Poynton without a ticket, a much need £4.50* in the coffers.

Surely this shouldn't be happening at the moment?!



*plus admin obviously

You will find some discussion here in the Coronavirus sub-forum:-

Coronavirus: what impact might it have on the railways?

As regards TOCs saying ticket sales are down, in the last week the trains I’ve traveled on on northern have all been about as full as always, but I’ve not seen 1 guard. Usually you don’t see them all the time on northern but on 5 journeys and 10 trains in that not seeing any is odd. Maybe this...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Scott1]

It varies between TOCs. My TOC stopped ticket checks, but then reintroduced some checks, such as ticket Gates, primarily because anti social behivour jumped up. Having ticket barriers on also discourages unnecessary travel and prevents people entering the station to hang around, or train spot (yep, shockingly a few still turning up for that)

 

[LowLevel]

How does that work in the event of a problem or emergency then? I would imagine any form of disciplinary action would be quashed quite quickly if they tried it on.

That's necessary and thus isn't a problem. Assisting disabled persons or dealing with an emergency are things you have to get on with. I have a stash of gloves that I put on if I really have to touch another person, someone's wheelchair etc and they go straight in the bin after. Same for people doing essential work that requires them to be close to others like fitters. Checking tickets, interrogating people about their journeys, hanging around right next to your mates in the mess room etc are not however essential and we've been told it will be treated the same as breaching any other safety policy. Our gatelines are still on to deter scummers from hanging around the premises but we have been told not to proactively approach passengers.

It seems fairly sensible and easy to live by to me. Whoever pays the piper picks the tune after all.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Our barriers are now open as passengers touching the slots with their fingers has been identified as a risk of cross-contamination.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

The advice has also been that if you are less than 2m from somebody for only a very short time, a few minutes or less, then the chance of catching anything from that person is minute, unless they actually cough in your face.

I didn't do ticket checks to start with then I got bored and also got fed up with just carrying scrotes around for free.

I have been doing some checks (card only, no cash) in the past fortnight and have concluded that about 65% of all the people travelling are scrotes, scratters, druggies and assorted other ne'er-do-wells. Most of them have no ticket and no money.

Of all passengers, with a very very few exceptions, the only people with tickets are those who have season tickets, in many cases from before the lockdown started or those coming back from an airport. Nobody else has a ticket at all even the genuine commuters who have worked out that there are no on train checks and most barriers are open or you just demand to be let in or out without paying because the staff manning the barriers are not challenging anyone. You normally see them hurriedly buying a ticket on their phone when you approach.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It strikes me that there's a need for more BTP enforcement in that case. The trouble is that £30 isn't enough of a deterrent, a week in the cells would have to be an option.

I'm not sure why the Government doesn't just fund it to be free subject to a valid reason to travel, TBH.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Its been suggested we avoid confrontation with scroates etc as it could lead to assault or being coughed over.

 

[LowLevel]

The advice has also been that if you are less than 2m from somebody for only a very short time, a few minutes or less, then the chance of catching anything from that person is minute, unless they actually cough in your face.

I didn't do ticket checks to start with then I got bored and also got fed up with just carrying scrotes around for free.

I have been doing some checks (card only, no cash) in the past fortnight and have concluded that about 65% of all the people travelling are scrotes, scratters, druggies and assorted other ne'er-do-wells. Most of them have no ticket and no money.

Of all passengers, with a very very few exceptions, the only people with tickets are those who have season tickets, in many cases from before the lockdown started or those coming back from an airport. Nobody else has a ticket at all even the genuine commuters who have worked out that there are no on train checks and most barriers are open or you just demand to be let in or out without paying because the staff manning the barriers are not challenging anyone. You normally see them hurriedly buying a ticket on their phone when you approach.

Which is all well and good until someone gets nasty with you. We've had a few guards who can't leave it alone and several of them have been assaulted. No sympathy whatsoever - the increased proportion of scrotes is well known and the chances of grief are far higher.

We've been told to leave it be and still people decide they know best and are going to have a go, even though we aren't even allowed to take out revenue equipment. In one case this resulted in 2 staff attempting to deny travel to a "regular issue" being spat at and he advised the police when they attended that he was so incensed he was going to attempt to push one under a train. Turned out he was wanted for numerous other serious offences. Also got 2 police recovering at home having been hospitalised by another gentleman.

 

[Scott1]

Which is all well and good until someone gets nasty with you. We've had a few guards who can't leave it alone and several of them have been assaulted. No sympathy whatsoever - the increased proportion of scrotes is well known and the chances of grief are far higher.

They may belive they are helping to protect key workers, who have to use the train, from abuse and assault by being a bistable presence on the train, regardless of if they check tickets or not. To say you have no sympathy is rather harsh, especially for your colleagues.

 

[111-111-1]

It strikes me that there's a need for more BTP enforcement in that case. The trouble is that £30 isn't enough of a deterrent, a week in the cells would have to be an option.

I'm not sure why the Government doesn't just fund it to be free subject to a valid reason to travel, TBH.

Some people, who have genuine reason, travel daily and still have their expensive season tickets so hardly fair to make the service free.

Is it really a good idea filling prisons possibly allowing greater transmission of the virus and filling up hospital beds with extra people.

 

[MattA7]

I think the 6ft rule is only advisory not a legal requirement and the are plenty jobs where it is impossible. That being said I would imagine common sense would dictate those who are in groups the virus targets such as the elderly, those with health problems, ethnic minorities etc would be told to take time off work for now by their employers and/or HSE

 

[LowLevel]

They may belive they are helping to protect key workers, who have to use the train, from abuse and assault by being a bistable presence on the train, regardless of if they check tickets or not. To say you have no sympathy is rather harsh, especially for your colleagues.

Being visible is fine. Intervening in situations is also fine. We still have to walk through and do security checks and we are meant to be announcing where we are and how to contact us. Going out after people for travelling without a ticket when you don't have the means to correct the matter anyway and your employer has directed you not to do so is extremely unwise.

I don't wish for anybody to get injured but being assaulted having disobeyed a direct instruction is not the kind of behaviour you expect from a train guard.

 

[ASharpe]

I had to make the short return journey from Shipley to Forster Square yesterday afternoon with Northern. (Donated blood and I don't like driving or cycling straight after)

Two people were stood by platform 3 at Shipley with no intention at all of looking at my ticket either way.

Then at Bradford 3 rather animated blokes ready to pounce on people without tickets at the gate line. They got two people before I reached them and the third actually seemed a bit disappointed when he saw my pass and I touched out - 40 minute wait for the next incoming fare dodgers I suppose.

 

[MDB1images]

The TOCs need to sing from one hymm sheet on this.

 

[Scott1]

The TOCs need to sing from one hymm sheet on this.

Why do they? Regardless of if the ticket is checked all TOCs want passengers to buy a ticket as usual, that hasn't changed and is the same at all TOCs. The way that is checked and enforced has always varied between TOCs.

 

[yorkie]

The TOCs need to sing from one hymm sheet on this.

You are never going to have every TOC carrying out revenue protection in exactly the same way.