West Midlands Metro – the light-rail operator which operates tram services between Wolverhampton and Birmingham, is overhauling its ticketing arrangements, as well as upping fines to £100 for non-payment of fares.
Currently, passengers should buy their tickets before they board; however, conductors have happily sold tickets on the tram. That’s going to change, it seems.
In the New Year, customers will need to purchase a ticket before boarding the tram, bringing the West Midlands Metro into line with similar transport systems across the country.
Over the past year, the Metro has been embarking on a wide-ranging campaign to ensure customers are aware of the various ticketing options coming into place before the penalty fares increase from £10 to £100 come into force and for the implementation of the ‘Buy Before You Board’ policy.
To support this, passengers will begin to see validator poles being installed at tram stops across the network. These are part of the preparations for the new system, which will come into effect before the penalty fare increases.
The validators will be switched on in the New Year, giving customers the ability to ‘Tap-in and Tap-out’ with their bank card, travel pass, or smart device.
This new way to pay will sit alongside the existing options, including ticket machines introduced earlier this year, MyMetro app, and the Swift card.
For more information, click here.
In Quotes
Michael Reading-Skilton, Metro’s Head of Commercial, explained:
“While fare evasion on the Metro is no higher than on other tramways, the vast majority of our customers feel it is unfair that some people think they can get away with travelling without a ticket.
“We share their frustration, and the increase in the penalty fare will act as a further deterrent to this unacceptable behaviour as we move towards a new, more convenient ticketing system that promotes fairness and aligns the Metro with wider industry standards.”
“On board trams and at stops, our new customer team will be equipped with the latest technology to check passengers have a valid ticket or pass, and to issue penalty fares to those who haven’t paid,” Michael said.
“Although the changes will not come into effect for a few months, we want to give customers plenty of time to familiarise themselves with the new ticketing systems and arrangements.”
Sometimes, you’ve got to be nasty
It seems fare evasion has been enough of a problem for Midland Metro to finally get nasty, with plans for higher fines (from the pathetic £10 fine to a more deterring £100 fine), as well as abandoning on-tram ticket sales.
Midland Metro have tried both methods of selling tickets (both on-tram and off-tram) in the past, with each having its own success and failure levels
It seems that with contactless payment technology catching up, they’re hoping people will tap their cards or phones on a post before and after they travel to ensure a fare has been paid, with that convenience.
We’ll have to see if it works and if it’s reflected in the farebox revenue.
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