Background l Commercial l Information, Call Centre & Website l Ticketing l Branding l Networks & Facilities l Park & Ride l Customer Care l Transport Regulatory Structure l Key Issues
Integration is at the heart of Translink’s operations. Passengers want a public transport system which is integrated. This means more than buses and trains connecting; also clear branding, common information sources, through ticketing and well organised interchanges including Park and Ride facilities.
Translink is working towards delivering meaningful integration for passengers. In addition, the network must have a coherent and effective commercial strategy to maximise passenger numbers on the services.
Background l Commercial l Information, Call Centre & Website l Ticketing l Branding l Networks & Facilities l Park & Ride l Customer Care l Transport Regulatory Structure l Key Issues
An enhanced focus on the commercial performance of all aspects of the business will continue, delivering marketing campaigns, fares and ticketing structures and business unit analysis to optimise the commercial performance of all brands and products within Translink. The commercial / fares strategy for 2007/08 may be summarised;
Background
Value for money is currently a major issue from the passengers’ perspective. There is a history of above RPI increases in fares for both bus and rail services, albeit reflecting specific industry cost increases (2006/07 was 7% - 9% because of fuel cost increases).
2006/07 has seen very strong growth in passenger numbers and revenue for both bus and rail as the services have improved in product and marketing terms. Competitiveness and value for money / efficiency are also core objectives;
Costs
Objective
The objective for the period 2007/08 is to deliver zero change to fares levels overall, i.e. a reduction equivalent to the level of RPI in real terms.
Metro
There will be no changes to fares including the non-cash / cash differential, this will be addressed in the short to medium term as part of the stored value ticketing project with the objective of significantly increasing non cash / cash ratio. Day tickets to be retained.
Goldline
Fares are to be simplified (as part of overall simplification of brand proposition) through
Fares should be reduced in real terms through the introduction of significantly discounted off peak fares, including returns, as well as potential slight reductions in peak fares due to banding / rounding.
Ulsterbus
Fares revisions will be such to be consistent with Metro equivalent fares and Goldline fares (many routes are common, albeit express versus non-express, a town services day ticket is to be retained as permanent and introduced to all town services at £1.70)
Education and Library Board rates will increase by RPI reflecting an anticipated slight reduction in passenger numbers and the administrative support provided to the ELB’s. This is separate to the agreed additional costs of operating the 110 extra buses.
NI Railways
There will be no overall increase but significant changes to structure of tickets, differentials, multiples, etc. In general terms single fares will increase to pay for significantly reduced off peak day return fares (to increase through the day yields).
Enterprise fares are to be considered later in the year with Iarnrod Eireann but the current on line yield management strategy will continue.
Background l Commercial l Information, Call Centre & Website l Ticketing l Branding l Networks & Facilities l Park & Ride l Customer Care l Transport Regulatory Structure l Key Issues
A single call centre and www.translink.co.uk provide information on all bus and rail services including latest travel news every 15 minutes.
Overall, the provision of passenger information, electronically, by telephone or printed is amongst the most comprehensive in the UK or Ireland.
Research clearly shows that a travel query correctly handled / responded to by a call centre or via a web will “generate” a new journey on 10-12% of occasions.
Passenger information will continue to be upgraded and improved. Enhanced web based mapping interactivity, fares information and further fine grading of information to individual bus stop level will be introduced. A personalised marketing campaign is to be piloted in 2007/08.
The functionality of the call centre will be extended during 2007/08. Already many promotions and yield management programmes are handled there. Future functions will include sales/reservations for Enterprise services, handling the smartpass (65 concessionary travel) renewal process and sales of Translink smartcard “top ups” (particularly in a Stored Value System).
As Translink’s primary customer contact centre its capacity and functionality will continue to be maximised, as this makes most sense in overall efficiency terms.
In addition, the website will continue to be the focus of extensive and aggressive e-commerce business development campaigns driving growth in passenger numbers and delivering effective yield management solutions.
Background l Commercial l Information, Call Centre & Website l Ticketing l Branding l Networks & Facilities l Park & Ride l Customer Care l Transport Regulatory Structure l Key Issues
Progress to date
There are integrated ticketing options, mainly in the form of passes, Smartpass (65 /concession), pupil tickets, annual passes and tourist passes. Demand for single or one-off integrated tickets is currently low but will be catered for with a new project under evaluation to develop and implement a network wide stored value smart card providing a ‘check in/check out’ facility.
This could be a replacement for all multi journey and travel card ticket types delivering a quantum step forward in terms of comprehensive single journey through ticketing for all bus and rail services. A high level economic/strategic business case has been completed in 2006/07 for such a stored value ticketing system and concluded that it would be financially viable.
Future development
A formal project has commenced to finalise a detailed implementation proposal and formal “green book” appraisal for a store value ticketing system. The proposal is expected to be finalised early in 2007/08. Initial issues relate to the potential functionality of existing ticketing hardware.
It is currently a preferred view that a stored value ticketing system could be piloted on the Metro network where operational benefits would be maximised through the removal of the majority of all cash from buses. The research quantified journey time benefits of up to £0.7million and increases in revenue of up to £0.3million p.a.
A key issue is that experience from elsewhere shows the cash / non cash fare differential must be significant to make passengers “choose” to switch. As a rule of thumb a 1% additional fare differential will switch 1% of passengers.
Currently, the cash/non cash differential is ca. 25% and approximately 50% of passengers use cash (cash 47% / 65 smartpass 18% / smartlink 16% / student and day pass 19%); to be truly effective a cash fare could potentially be double a smartcard fare, this is the case in London.
Background l Commercial l Information, Call Centre & Website l Ticketing l Branding l Networks & Facilities l Park & Ride l Customer Care l Transport Regulatory Structure l Key Issues
The public transport network will be further developed and marketed as a single integrated entity, with operational network developments consistent with a single network vision. This will include the co-ordination of Goldline and NI Railways network development plans, linked to the key transport corridor approach of the RTS.
New brand positions have been successfully developed for all business units and currently define all marketing and development activity. The new brand identities for the core products of Translink; Metro, Goldline, NI Railways (and Enterprise), Ulsterbus are aggressively and innovatively promoted and communicated throughout the year.
Evaluation of all promotional campaigns is routine and brand equity is measured bi annually in the passenger’s charter monitor process and also annually in a comparative corporate perception monitor.
Background l Commercial l Information, Call Centre & Website l Ticketing l Branding l Networks & Facilities l Park & Ride l Customer Care l Transport Regulatory Structure l Key Issues
Buses and trains are scheduled to connect where there is demand and operational opportunity. Translink has invested in state of the art passenger facilities throughout Northern Ireland which are integrated bus/rail where possible, for example, Bangor, Coleraine, Europa / Great Victoria Street (all bus/rail), also Magherafelt, Downpatrick, Central Station, Ballyclare, Carrickfergus, Newry and Armagh.
Current passenger facility redevelopments include Newry railway station and Lisburn bus station. A schedule of future passenger facility redevelopments is included in the capital expenditure analysis (section 13) and is subject to economic appraisal and funding.
Background l Commercial l Information, Call Centre & Website l Ticketing l Branding l Networks & Facilities l Park & Ride l Customer Care l Transport Regulatory Structure l Key Issues
Significant investments have been made in both bus and rail based Park and Ride facilities at Lisburn, Moira, Lurgan, Carrickfergus, Portadown (all rail), Northside & Eastside Belfast, Dungannon, (all bus), Bangor, Coleraine and Ballymena (all bus/rail).
Translink has worked with Roads Service to develop a range of measures that will help ease congestion on the M1 and Westlink during the period of major road construction and an extended bus priority lane on the M1 motorway hard shoulder has been in use from July 2006. New Park & Ride schemes at Black’s Road and Sprucefield have been provided with dedicated vehicles operating frequent shuttle services.
Translink is also working with Roads Service to deliver a strategic Park and Ride facility at Cairnshill. This is expected to be operational in 2008.
In addition, Translink has a portfolio of Park and Ride sites for potential development at both bus and rail stations and “strategic” locations including Ballymartin, Lisburn, Moira, Carrickfergus, Greenisland, Holywood, Bangor, Jordanstown and Whitehead initially. It is intended these are grouped together and project management for their development over the period of the corporate plan is outsourced.
Park and Ride is envisaged to be developed as a core Translink product in coming years and will be branded and marketed as such.
Background l Commercial l Information, Call Centre & Website l Ticketing l Branding l Networks & Facilities l Park & Ride l Customer Care l Transport Regulatory Structure l Key Issues
A new approach that has been pioneered in NI Railways focussing on core customer care commitments will be extended to the bus operation in 2007/08. This is designed to deliver a positive travel experience for passengers and a professional, fulfilling and enjoyable workplace. We aim to have our customer service recognised as “best in class”.
Background l Commercial l Information, Call Centre & Website l Ticketing l Branding l Networks & Facilities l Park & Ride l Customer Care l Transport Regulatory Structure l Key Issues
During 2006, the Minister announced the intention to establish a passenger transport authority (PTA) for Northern Ireland. No objectives or implementation details are yet available.
NITHC/Translink acknowledges this development and will work with DRD to develop the objectives and implementation programmes, including investigating the possibility of using existing NITHC/Translink functions to avoid potential duplication of resource or function.
The announcement is consistent with NITHC/Translink’s view that central to the delivery of quality public transport are principles of
Background l Commercial l Information, Call Centre & Website l Ticketing l Branding l Networks & Facilities l Park & Ride l Customer Care l Transport Regulatory Structure l Key Issues
Uncertainty
The announcement of the PTA and the time necessary to develop objectives and implementation programmes, along with the ongoing Review of Public Administration has meant that uncertainty is inevitable among all stakeholders to public transport in Northern Ireland. Effective communications and expectations management can mitigate any adverse reactions to events arising from the uncertainty.
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