Latest news with #ticketing
Sky News
7 hours ago
- Business
- Sky News
Harry Kane-backed SeatUnique to score with £10m funding
A premium ticketing platform backed by the England football captain Harry Kane is raising a further £10m in funding to take advantage of the fast-growing 'experience economy'. Sky News has learnt that SeatUnique, which is run by co-founder Robin Sherry, is in talks to secure the new capital in an extension of its recent Series A round. The funding is expected to be committed entirely by existing investors, led by Nickleby Capital, which has backed a string of technology unicorns. SeatUnique has deals with venues such as Wembley Stadium, Manchester's Co-op Live arena and the 16 racecourses operated by Arena Racing. A number of additional contracts are said to be under negotiation. Ben Stokes, the England men's Test cricket captain, and Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, the 2012 Olympic heptathlon champion, are also backers of SeatUnique. One source close to the situation said the new funding was likely to be followed by a much larger Series B fundraising next year. The company is chaired by Richard Flint, the former SkyBet chief who also chairs the investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown. It markets original ticketing inventory, unlike secondary platforms which have come under growing political pressure for their treatment of consumers.
Sky News
a day ago
- Business
- Sky News
Rail firms taking 'disproportionate action' against passengers without valid tickets, watchdog warns
Rail firms are taking "disproportionate action" against some passengers without valid tickets, a watchdog has warned in a new report. The report, following an inquiry by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), also criticised Britain's "complex" fares system and found that travellers faced "inconsistent treatment and outcomes" for similar ticketing issues across the railway. The ORR highlighted one case where a passenger was threatened with prosecution for accidentally selecting a 16-25 railcard discount when they had a 26-30 railcard, both of which provide the same discount. The case was eventually dropped when the passenger's MP became involved. In another case, a passenger's printed e-ticket was damaged by water, and a member of rail staff was unable to scan the ticket. Despite later providing proof of a valid ticket for the journey, the person was threatened with prosecution. They agreed to settle out of court for £81 to avoid the risk of conviction, the ORR said. A third case study highlighted in the report saw a passenger successfully appeal a penalty fare, only to discover during a criminal records check for a job that they had been convicted of fare evasion without being aware of it. The passenger claimed they had never received any documentation or court material. The ORR found there were "a range of circumstances" in which passengers may innocently travel without a valid ticket, for example, when they forget their railcard or simply make a mistake. The review also found that prosecutions for ticketing offences had increased by 52% from 2019 to 2023, while passenger numbers had fallen by 7%. The extent to which each train operator used prosecutions varied considerably, even when normalised for passenger numbers, the report noted. But the regulator warned that these reasons could also be used by passengers who "deliberately choose" to underpay or avoid their fare, making it difficult for rail staff to determine their intent and the course of action. 9:57 Rail staff described how fare evasion was becoming "increasingly more challenging to tackle" and "normalised among certain passenger groups", according to the ORR. "Making this more challenging is the railway's complex fares and ticketing framework. This has grown more complicated over time," the report added. Under railway bylaws, not being able to present a valid ticket for a journey is an offence, regardless of a passenger's intent, which the ORR said meant "disproportionate action can end up taken against some passengers". The inquiry was commissioned by then transport secretary Louise Haigh in November 2024 to review the handling of revenue protection and fare evasion across the industry, following reports of cases where passengers were being prosecuted over a small amount of money. The ORR made a series of recommendations to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and the Department for Transport, like ensuring that passengers have "clearer information" about tickets, and creating consistency in how passengers are treated when ticket issues arise, particularly when it comes to prosecutions. "Deliberate fare-dodging costs the taxpayer up to £400 million annually - money which could be better spent on improving passenger experience - and must be dealt with, but ham-fisted prosecutions that punish people who have made an innocent mistake is not the way to do this," rail minister Lord Hendy said. He added that the government would study the report and set out how the address will be addressed "in due course". 0:41 A spokesperson for Rail Delivery Group, which represents operators, said it welcomed the ORR's "sensible recommendations". She continued: "The rail industry will work on implementing the recommendations in line with our plans to create a simpler, better-value fares system. "We need to strike the right balance, addressing genuine, honest mistakes made by customers and taking firm action against those who deliberately and persistently seek to exploit the system."
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Rail fare dodger – or simply bamboozled by the train ticketing ‘system'?
One million pounds per day: that is how much fare dodging costs the country. TransPennine Express estimates one in 30 of its passengers does not have a valid ticket. Unsurprisingly, train operators are keen to catch people who set out to travel ticketless. But as today's report from the Office for Rail and Road (ORR) shows: they can often be heavy-handed. Some people inadvertently find that they are travelling without a valid ticket simply because the fare system is so darn complicated. Take the journey from Bristol to London. Forget for a moment about complications such as advance tickets and railcard conditions. All you want is a standard ticket for immediate departure, whether you buy it from a ticket office (which only two out of five passengers do), online or through a ticket machine. A so-called 'walk-up ticket' comes in five different financial flavours (rounded here to the nearest pound). There's an anytime ticket, price £139, which it is difficult to imagine anyone buying. Rational passengers who need to travel in the rush hour would go for the 'Didcot dodge'. You travel on the same train, in the same seat – just making sure it is one of the majority of services that stop at Didcot Parkway in leafy Oxfordshire. That will save you (or whoever is paying for your ticket) £52. Anyone with a bit of flexibility can halve the number Great Western Railway first thought of by buying an off-peak ticket, price £67, for journeys between the peaks leaving London, and in the morning rush-hour only when heading from Bristol to the capital. A bit more flex? The fare can fall a further one-third to £45, with a slightly more restrictive super-off-peak. But perhaps you're in no great hurry to reach the capital? If you are happy to go the exceptionally pretty way through Bradford-on-Avon and Westbury, changing trains in Salisbury – that's another 33 per cent discount, down to £33. By now you may be reaching for the car keys – or perhaps the FlixBus or National Express apps, to secure a straightforward and low-cost option on the motorway. And that's before the complexity of advance tickets and complicated railcard rules, which include some discounts that are available only in July and August. Before you exclaim indignantly about the laughable complexity of it all, perhaps I can persuade you that there are good reasons for this range of options? While the 'system' baked in at the time of privatisation remains in place, the clunky inevitability of a 'cliff-face' drop or rise in fares at the prescribed rush-hour boundaries will continue, and it will be in the commercial interests of the rail firms – and the taxpayer – to offer progressively lower prices if you are prepared to travel on the quietest trains or via a roundabout route. Inevitably, though, some people find themselves travelling without the appropriate ticket. Or they may make a mistake online and select '16-25 Railcard' rather than '26-30' – and, even though the ticket price is exactly the same, face possible prosecution. For me, that was the most shocking aspect of the ORR report – that railway people would conclude that an error which made no difference to fare revenue was worthy of pursuit. The staff I have encountered would have had a quiet word to just recommend more care next time. The best policy for any passenger uncertain of the validity of their ticket/railcard combo is simply to ask staff on the station gateline or the train guard whether they can travel. But some will remain blissfully unaware that they have the wrong sort of ticket. I contend that most of the people who inadvertently breach fare rules are making occasional journeys and are bamboozled by the range of fares and railcard rules. Conversely, most of the 'professional' fare dodgers know exactly what they are doing and are making regular journeys for which they don't fancy paying the right price. It is down to rail staff to judge which side each errant traveller is on. And, from my observation, most of the time they get it right.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Rail firms taking ‘disproportionate action' against passengers over ticket rules
Train operators are taking 'disproportionate action' against passengers who do not hold a valid ticket, according to an inquiry which criticised Britain's 'complex' fares system. The regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), published a report that found travellers face 'inconsistent treatment and outcomes' for similar ticketing issues across the railway. It was commissioned by then-transport secretary Louise Haigh in November last year to review how the industry handles revenue protection and fare evasion, after cases where passengers were being prosecuted over small amounts of money were highlighted in the media. The ORR noted one case where a passenger was threatened with prosecution for accidentally selecting a 16-25 railcard discount when they held a 26-30 railcard, which provides the same discount. The case was eventually dropped after their MP became involved. The ORR found there are 'a range of circumstances' in which passengers may innocently travel without a valid ticket, such as forgetting their railcard or simply making a mistake. But the regulator warned the same reasons can be used by passengers who 'deliberately choose' to underpay or avoid their fare, and it can to difficult for rail staff to determine their intent and decide how to handle the situation. The report stated: 'Making this more challenging is the railway's complex fares and ticketing framework. 'This has grown more complicated over time.' The inquiry found that rail staff described how 'fare evasion is becoming normalised among certain passenger groups', and it is becoming 'increasingly more challenging to tackle'. The ORR noted that under railway byelaws, it is an offence not to be able to present a valid ticket for a journey, regardless of the passenger's intent, which means 'disproportionate action can end up being taken against some passengers'. The inquiry made a series of recommendations to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and the Department for Transport, such as ensuring passengers have 'clearer information' about tickets, and creating consistency in how passengers are treated when ticket issues arise, particularly in relation to prosecutions. ORR director of strategy, policy and reform Stephanie Tobyn said: 'Effective revenue protection is essential for a sustainable railway, but it must be fair and proportionate for passengers. 'Our recommendations aim to protect both industry revenue and support passenger confidence. 'Our evidence shows a system that has evolved over time where the legal framework and enforcement processes are increasingly complex and appear weighted towards industry, leaving some passengers who make innocent errors vulnerable to disproportionate outcomes. 'But meanwhile, fare evasion remains a significant problem, and rigorous action should be taken against those who intentionally seek to defraud the railway.' Rail minister Lord Hendy said: 'This report shows that decades of failed privatisation have created a mess of deep-rooted issues across our railways, which have been left unchallenged and are now causing chaos and frustration for passengers. 'Through the creation of Great British Railways, we're bringing operators together to establish oversight and better standardise practices, putting an end to inconsistent prosecutions and making sure passengers are treated fairly. 'Deliberate fare-dodging costs the taxpayer up to £400 million annually – money which could be better spent on improving passenger experience – and must be dealt with, but ham-fisted prosecutions that punish people who have made an innocent mistake is not the way to do this. 'We will look at this report in detail and set out what we'll be doing to address the issues raised in due course.' A spokesperson for Rail Delivery Group, which represents operators, said it welcomed the ORR's 'sensible recommendations'. She continued: 'The rail industry will work on implementing the recommendations in line with our plans to create a simpler, better-value fares system. 'We need to strike the right balance addressing genuine, honest mistakes made by customers and taking firm action against those who deliberately and persistently seek to exploit the system.' Last week, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick posted a widely-viewed video on social media in which he confronted people who forced their way through the ticket barriers at Stratford station in east London.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Train firms must stop criminalising 'innocent errors', report finds
Train passengers are suffering unfair penalties for minor and often genuine mistakes in buying tickets, an inquiry has Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said Britain's fare system was "complex" and that rail firms must stop taking "disproportionate action" against Williamson, 22, thought he'd bagged a £1.90 discount on a ticket using his young person's rail card, but was threatened with court action - now dropped - as the saving didn't apply before 10am on weekdays outside of July and Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail firms, said fare evasion costs the industry £400m a year but acknowledged the industry has to be "more consistent". The ORR inquiry looked in to how the rail industry handles fare evasion after passengers were being prosecuted over small amounts of ORR cited one case, which was eventually dropped when a local politician looked into the issues, where a passenger was threatened with court action for accidentally choosing a 16-25 railcard discount when they held a 26-30 railcard. Both give the same report also found passengers who had forgotten their railcard were often penalised, though it said it was difficult for rail staff to determine genuine mistakes from those who chose to deliberately Minister Lord Peter Hendy said "ham-fisted prosecutions" were punishing innocent added that the government planned on tackling fare-dodging by simplifying ticketing and developing plans for a state-owned rail operator, Great British said his "tiny" mistake "would translate to a prosecution, potentially, or hundreds [of pounds] in fines, so I could have ended up with a criminal record".He describes the way he was caught out as "slightly convoluted", adding "we can't expect a regular commuter to be aware of something that niche on a regular basis". Fare evasion 'challenging to tackle' ORR strategy director Stephanie Tobyn said the legal framework and enforcement of ticketing is "increasingly complex and appears weighted towards industry, leaving some passengers who make innocent errors vulnerable to disproportionate outcomes".However, she added that "fare evasion remains a significant problem, and rigorous action should be taken against those who intentionally seek to defraud the railway".The inquiry said evading fares was becoming a normal thing to do "among certain passenger groups" and that it is becoming "increasingly more challenging to tackle".Robert Nisbet, spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the rail industry said fare evasion takes money aware from the rail system which could otherwise be invested in added: "We could be better, as an industry, we could be clearer, we could be more consistent across the country. "We don't always get it right, we acknowledge that, we have to be better".
