Position of the UITP European Union Committee answering the European Consultation on Development on Integrated Ticketing for Air and Rail Transport

Transcription

1 OCTOBER 2008 Psitin f the UITP Eurpean Unin Cmmittee answering the Eurpean Cnsultatin n Develpment n Integrated Ticketing fr Air and Rail Transprt The Eurpean Cmmissin has pened in summer 2008 a cnsultatin n Develpment f Integrated Ticketing fr Air and Rail Transprt, with the bjective f examining the rganisatinal and technical pprtunities related t the develpment f integrated ticketing as annunced in the Cmmunicatin n passenger rights (COM(2005) 46 final) and reaffirmed in the Cmmunicatin n airprt capacity (COM(2006) 819 final). Accrding t the Cmmissin, the intrductin f integrated ticketing [which may include urban public transprt] can be an imprtant factr t generate demand fr intermdal air-rail services and it requires the develpment f sale and prmtin f integrated infrmatin, reservatin and sales systems. The Cmmissin has develped a questinnaire in rder t pen a debate n a vluntary engagement f the cncerned stakehlders. The Eurpean Unin Cmmittee f UITP (Internatinal Assciatin f Public Transprt) represents the views f the peratrs f urban, suburban and reginal cllective passenger transprt sectr by rail, by rad and waterbrne ( in the Eurpean Unin. UITP has been recgnized by the Eurpean Cmmissin as a Eurpean representative rail assciatin. The fllwing dcument presents the UITP s answer t the questinnaire. Scpe f air-rail integrated ticketing Questin 1. What is in yur pinin the market ptential fr these services? This questin shuld cme after the questin 2 n the scpe f integrated ticketing. Indeed, the paragraph 5.1 (Scpe f air-rail integratin) f the Cnsultatin dcument states that In

2 a secnd stage, it wuld als be advisable t ensure the cntinuity f the whle jurney by adding 1 public transprt (buses, undergrund railway, train) which serve the urban centres. In fact, there are three different markets where a crdinatin and nt necessarily full integratin f ticketing and infrmatin between air services and rail and public transprt services culd generate demand benefiting frm intermdality/cmdality between mdes. Market 1: Passengers using Air and/r Rail services as an alternative t Air services alne. Rail means in this case High Speed Rail (HSR) services f several hundred kilmeters. The main cmpetitr fr Rail is Air. Market 2: Passengers using bth Air and Rail services as cmplementary mdes, with a rail travel n a medium distance service by either High Speed Rail r Cnventinal Rail (frm half hundred t several hundred kilmeters) in cntinuatin f an Air service. The main cmpetitr fr Rail is private car. Market 3: Passengers using Air and Rail services as cmplementary mdes, with a rail service being perated as part f a lcal/reginal public transprt system (ften split between a lcal rail service perated n a cmmercial basis, and a public transprt service by rail r rad r even waterbrne being perated n the basis f a public service cntract). The main cmpetitr fr rail/public transprt is either private means (mainly private car) r taxi. All these three markets have a real ptential. The third ne cvering shrt distance rail/public transprt services as access/egress mdes t medium lng distance Air-Rail services is in fact an additinal cmpnent f the tw first markets. Frm the pint f view f UITP, it is prbably the mst imprtant ne, and in any case shuld be regarded neither as a secnd class market nr as a future extensin t lcal public transprt f integrated ticketing develped fr medium-lng distance air-rail services. UITP estimates that currently at least 10 times mre passengers use public transprt t and frm airprts than a lng distance train cnnectin. 2 Questin 2. What are yur cmments n the scpe f integrated ticketing as prpsed, as a first step, at pint 5.1? D yu think that the scpe shuld be extended t ther mdes f public transprt? We agree with the Cmmissin n the pint that trying t include nw public transprt int the intermdal scheme wuld be unrealistic and likely cnsiderably t slw dwn the intrductin f an intermdal service 3, but nly as lng as the intermdal scheme is the ne described by the Cmmissin. We disagree with the Cmmissin s pinin that seamless air-rail travel including lcal public transprt always requires a cmplex intermdal scheme. The Cmmissin states that the bjective f the integrated air-rail ticketing is t make it pssible fr a traveller t btain - directly (frm Internet r a vending machine) r thrugh a salesman (travel agency r 1 UITP: [t the integrated infrmatin, reservatin and sales systems]. 2 e.g % f air passengers at majr German airprts (Berlin Tegel, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, etc.) use lcal public transprt prir r after their air trip. 3 Paragraph 5.1, page 10.

3 transprt peratr) ne r mre transprt dcuments enabling him/her t take successively at least a train and a plane, by btaining the best pssible cmbinatin accrding t criteria such as schedules, price r assciated services. The integrated ticketing implies the integratin at infrmatin level (schedule and price) and at reservatin level (access t the inventries f available places and issuance f the ticket) 4. We believe that, under sme prerequisite cnditins - the bjective f seamless travel can be achieved much mre simply fr air r rail services cmbined with lcal public transprt. Indeed, there are already examples - like in Germany - where lng distance rail passengers (DB Bahncard users) can btain directly r thrugh a salesman a rail ticket including an access t the lcal public transprt services (City Ticket) 5. This kind f service (already mre than 100 millin tickets sld in Germany since 2003) culd be immediately prpsed as well t air passengers 6, and f curse it des nt imply the integratin f the public transprt services, neither at infrmatin level, nr at reservatin level. It requires in fact tw cnditins: a cmmercial agreement between the different invlved partners; an pen access t the public transprt system. The case f clsed public transprt systems where a passenger has t crss a gate t enter and exit the system - is a fully different issue. N simple intermdal slutin can be fund fr a passenger using a ticket (barding pass r rail ticket) n which the validatin cde can easily be cpied (e.g. bar-cde n a paper ticket r SMS ticket). We ttally agree that the crdinatin-integratin between air, rail and such public transprt systems can nly be achieved in a secnd stage. Hwever the case f Integrated Fare Management (IFM) f clsed public transprt systems is addressed by a Eurpean Research Prject currently underway, called IFM-Prject. In parallel, UITP has created an IFM-Frum where interested parties can exchange their pinin abut Integrated Fare Management f public transprt systems. IFM-Prject and IFM-Frum are fcusing n (cntactless) ticketing used by Eurpean citizens wh are regular custmers f public transprt traveling thrughut Eurpe. What is develped within IFM-Prject culd be used by extensin fr air and rail travel (with nly ne device supprting different fare platfrms). Questin 3. What are, accrding t yu, the cnnectins n which air-rail services are pssible, in particular in relatin t the criterin f the quality f the airprt/railway statin interface? The market ptential fr a better crdinatin/integratin f Air-Rail infrmatin and ticketing is cnditined by the quality f the crdinatin/integratin f the varius services in physical and peratinal terms: there is n real market ptential fr integrated ticketing in the case f daunting cnnectin between mdes in terms f length and cmfrt f the interchange(s) 4 Paragraph 4.1 page 5. 5 Cperatin between Deutsche Bahn AG and Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen: DB Bahncard custmers can use lcal public transprt netwrks at their destinatin (currently in 109 German cities) when buying a lng distance train ticket > 100 km. Intrductin Already abut 100 airliners and tur peratrs (such as TUI, Germanwings, Airturs ) ffer the ptin f purchasing lng distance train ticket in Germany (DB) in cmbinatin with an internatinal flight ticket (thrugh Internet, travel agency ).

4 between mdes, especially frm the pint f view f passengers with luggage, r in terms f frequency and availability ver the day time f the rail/public transprt services. The cnnectins n which air-rail services are pssible are therefre thse prviding: high quality physical access t/frm the airprt terminal t/frm the railway statin and/r the public transprt system (the accessibility has t take accunt f the handling and recvery f luggage within the air terminal), that is a cnnectin with e.g. very limited walking distance, easy way finding, attractive envirnment; clck faced services fr medium-lng distance rail services ffered in the rail statin serving the airprt; remte access fr a seat reservatin in the case f medium-lng distance rail services cnnected t air. Of curse the cnnecting High Speed Rail r Cnventinal Rail services departing the statin serving the air terminal have t prvide fast access t rail statins prperly lcated in majr city centers. In the case f a cnnectin with public transprt systems serving air terminals, a specific challenge is t prperly infrm the passenger abut the lcatin f the services, and defining ways t avid this passenger (usually with luggage) making a queue fr purchasing/validating a ticket. Institutinal framewrk Questin 4. What is yur pinin n the feasibility and the cntents f the vluntary agreement as prpsed at pint 5.2? Wuld yu be ready t take part in it? Accrding t the Cnsultatin dcument: The agreement shuld cmprise in particular the fllwing clauses: the engagement 7 t develp an integrated ticketing system pen t all peratrs (including future high speed rail peratrs); the bligatin t share certain data between the peratrs, in particular n the schedules, tariffs and assciated services. This bligatin will be extended in the lng term t cver public transprt peratrs (buses, metr, and train) which serve the urban centres in rder t be able t cver als "the last mile" f the intermdal jurney. Sme rail links between the city and the airprt are perated n a cmmercial basis, but mst if nt all 8 - lcal public transprt services are perated under public service cntracts. Accrding t Regulatin 1370/2007/EC n public passenger transprt services by rail and by rad (Recital 17), all what relates t scial and quality standards fr e.g. passenger rights and needs f persns with reduced mbility falls under the respnsibility f cmpetent authrities in charge f public transprt services perated under public service cntracts, in keeping with the principle f subsidiarity. Infrmatin services and ticketing services are part f scial and quality specificatins f public service cntracts. 7 This means prbably cmmitment in Eurpean English. 8 Except in a few cuntries like UK.

5 UITP s pinin is that the Cmmissin shuld nt interfere in the lcal rail/public transprt agreements (infrmatin and ticketing) which are prvided under public service cntracts. These matters are exclusively ruled by cntracts signed between peratrs and authrities. The crdinatin between different public transprt systems has t be based n mutual agreements f the relevant lcal stakehlders. Hwever the Cmmissin is currently supprting the Eurpean public transprt industry (bth manufacturers and peratrs) in the definitin f apprpriate technical slutins able t better serve the Eurpean market thanks t the develpment f vluntary technical harmnizatin and standardisatin, e.g. thrugh granting part r all f Eurpean Research prjects like IFM-Prject mentined abve. UITP encurages the Cmmissin in that way, taking int accunts the fragmentatin f the public transprt sectr and the prgress achieved by the cmpeting private car mde. Technical aspects f the integrated ticketing Questin 5. What are yur cmments n the technical slutin prpsed fr the integrated air-rail ticketing and the perating mde f the system as described at pint 5.3? D yu see any prblems related t it and if s, which nes? Can yu envisage any alternative slutin which culd be satisfactry as far as a swift and ecnmical implementatin is cncerned? The technical slutin prpsed fr integrated air-rail ticketing cannt be extended t public transprt services cnnected t airprts. The ttal number f air passengers is very lw cmpared with the number f public transprt passengers. As an example, the ttal traffic f the first regin in Eurpe in terms f Air traffic, the Ile-de-France Regin, is a bit mre than 80 millin air passengers per year, while fr public transprt the traffic (RATP+SNCF+OPTILE) exceeds 3.6 billin passengers per year. Public transprt in this Regin carries arund 44 times mre passengers than air. This example illustrates that it is impssible and ttally inapprpriate - t extend t lcal public transprt especially fr clsed systems - slutins which have been develped fr lng distance air r rail transprt. There are numerus technical bstacles fr a prper crdinatin/integratin f infrmatin and sales between lng/medium distance air-rail services and lcal public transprt services, e.g. the number f different lcal passenger services, the variety f fares, the variety f fare systems, the number f stakehlders (authrities and peratrs) invlved, the differences in validatin systems, the different appraches twards privacy in the air sectr and in public transprt The security cnstraints impsed t the air sectr within the Schengen Area cannt be accepted fr ther mdes, neither fr medium-lng distance rail services nr fr lcal public transprt services. As mentined abve alternative slutins t integrated infrmatin and ticketing can be implemented fr the crdinatin between air, rail and lcal public transprt:

6 fr pen public transprt systems, thrugh agreements between air (and/r rail cmpanies) and public transprt peratrs allwing the use f public transprt systems by air passengers, as it has been achieved in Germany between DB and VDV fr clsed public transprt systems, and fr ticketing nly 9, thrugh agreements between public transprt fare system managers frm the greater interperable fare regins f Eurpe, later enlarged t lng distance air and rail peratrs, fllwing the recmmendatins expected frm the Eurpean Research IFM Prject. Prject management Questin 6. Which is the mst apprpriate management structure fr the first phase f this prject? This questin is nt relevant fr UITP, since lcal public transprt is nt included in the first phase f the Cmmissin s prject. Hwever, as regard crdinated ticketing, even in the first stage, bilateral r multilateral agreements can be immediately develped between pen public transprt systems peratrs and airlines, airprts and railway undertakings. Operatinal aspects Questin 7. Are the prblems invlved in air-rail integratin mainly f an peratinal nature r are they rather related t the distributin f the prduct? In the first case, please specify. As pinted ut by questin 3, air-rail integratin gathers many mre aspects than infrmatin and ticketing. In any case, the majr message is that cmmercial agreements are under the respnsibility f the parties invlved nly. Questin 8. Hw imprtant is it t travel with registered luggage n the entirety f the intermdal jurney? Which slutins d yu envisage? The questin is nt fully clear. Travel with registered luggage prbably means traveling withut luggage after having registered it and left in a given place, and cllecting it up at the end f the intermdal travel in anther given lcatin. Traveling with registered luggage n the entirety f the intermdal jurney is fr practical reasns 10 a very small niche f services. Only a very limited number f rigins and destinatins railway statins r majr public transprt terminals r new lcatins can be envisaged fr registering and cllecting registered luggage. The air security rules are very different frm the usual luggage handling rules in rail services. Maybe specific cnveyer belts culd be implemented in airprts fr luggage delivery t air-rail passengers when the rail service is prvided within r clsed t the air terminal, if such slutin culd save time fr this categry f passengers? Or maybe new services aviding r limiting walking - culd be prpsed within the airprt t 9 As fr infrmatin, the situatin is even mre cmplex and n harmnized apprach has yet been defined between public transprt peratrs. 10 including security cntrls and secure transprt f registered luggage alng the intermdal transprt chain, and including as well lst luggage management.

7 accmpany air-rail passengers and their luggage between their air arrival pint and the rail cach they shall use in the cnnecting train? Yur suggestins Questin 9. D yu have further cmments n the text f the dcument? D yu have suggestins regarding actin at Cmmunity level which was nt mentined in this dcument? The Cnsultatin dcument shws that there is a lack f knwledge within the Cmmissin f the characteristics and specific features f the lcal public transprt sectr within Eurpe. The market f lcal public transprt services perated under public service cntracts, (urban and suburban bus as well as urban, suburban and reginal rail services) has very few t be cmpared with the cmmercial trans-eurpean air r rail services, and the travel needs are ttally different fr a lng/medium distance trip and fr a shrt distance trip. There is in fact neither need nr real expectatin frm mst f lcal public transprt passengers t benefit frm transprt intermdality ver Eurpe. Many apprpriate slutins have been develped at a lcal (and smetimes natinal) level in terms f integrated infrmatin and ticketing systems, which cannt be ver ruled by Eurpean specificatins benefiting nly t a few per cent (and mst ften even far less) f the custmers. There is a market ptential resulting frm a better crdinatin between lng/medium distance air and rail services with lcal public transprt services. The services prpsed t serve this market cannt be develped frm a lng distance intermdality perspective, and in any case they have t be based n vluntary agreements with the relevant partners: peratrs, relevant authrities and the manufacturing industry, and in sme cases their assciatins. In additin, it must be clear that: when speaking abut a travel chain created by air-rail ticketing slutins, the passenger rights shuld be limited in the case f delays r missed train cnnectins causing the missing f flights. It wuld be impssible t extend the passenger rights f rail passengers t the air passenger, especially with regard t refunding f tickets; frm the technical pint f view, develpments shall be cmpliant with public pen standards. UITP welcmes hwever initiatives taken by the Cmmissin in the sectr f Research and Develpment t prpse and prmte slutins fr imprving the transprt market when develped in cperatin with the sectr and UITP is fully ready t cperate with the Cmmissin fr the identificatin f such issues.