Train guards refuse to scan e-tickets and demand ‘technology payment’

19 comments

1. So their reason is that they lose commission on selling paper tickets on the train?

   I thought you had to buy a ticket before getting on the train, otherwise how would you get past the barriers?

2. Why the hell do you get commission for something that is legally required, that’s not selling it’s your job?

   Commission is for upselling or selling one product over another.

   Clueless bunch of morons.

3. TfW guards get a commission on every ticket scanned. I thought this was the standard for every train company?

4. No matter how odd their existing pay may seem, I think it’s fair enough to say that if the business model is eliminating part of their pay that money should be replaced.

   It’s not their fault that paper tickets are going, and I doubt very much that it’s any easier dealing with e-tickets than paper tickets. If anything passengers who can’t work the technology correctly will add stress to the guard’s working day.

5. NGL … Travel is an essential part of the nation.. but seriously why do we care so much about these specific workers? I hear more about people who work in rail Vs the NHS.

   We are held back in bringing public transport up to the modern day because poor old ticket man Gary can’t make a few pence selling tickets

6. Also like to.point out that some guards contracts dont actually stipulate revenue collection and protection. They are what id call optional or additional duties. A guards fundamental role is the safety and security of passengers and safe dispatch from stations. The revenue is almost an if you have chance role. Comission is offered as an incentive to carry out this duty.

7. Am I missing something here the guards are complaining they don’t get commission on  scanning a e-ticket, surely that is the same a when they clip a paper tickert, neither of them is selling a ticket

8. time to replace them and train drivers with technology its well overdue.

9. Ultimately this is just people not wanting their income to drop because their employer has introduced new technology. It may sound odd but everyone whining here would soon be complaining to their employer if it happened to them.

10. The irony behind this is that I’ve been told multiple times to get my ticket before I get on the train lmao. They always seem super annoyed that they have to do their job.

11. DfT should just change the law to get rid of the Penalties in England and copy the Scottish model. If you are on a train you can buy a ticket, no penalty, no overhead for enforcement, incentivisation of the operator to make services better so people buy tickets before they travel.

12. Irony is ive never had my ticket scanned/checked on a Cross Country train anyway. They never come round

13. Do employees of train companies ever not think they deserve more money? I can’t remember a time they weren’t demanding more every few years for just doing their job.

14. I took a train from Hull to Scarborough on Tuesday, it was rammed, standing room only after we loaded in Hull. Didn’t see a guard for the whole journey, no-one checking tickets. Would the guards refund the company for their inability to do their jobs if this payment was allowed?

15. > The union has had a similar dispute with TransPennine Express, after insisting on additional payments to conductors to scan electronic tickets

    Oh that’s interesting to know. It’s my impression TPE guards and revenue staff are more-or-less striking already. They’ve been doing the absolute bare minimum for months and months. Barely doing ticket checks or even just walking through the train. Refusing to sell tickets.

    It’s starting to feel like they’ll never be happy, quite honestly.

    I think they’re still in a pay dispute and have been for some time…?

16. It’s not technology that they have an issue with, it’s barriers and ticket inspections at entrances.

    If I arrive at a station with a barrier, I need a ticket to get through it, therefore no commission for the guard.

17. I don’t really care, I paid for my ticket, I can prove it. If they don’t want to do their job because of a dispute with their employer, that’s not my problem.

18. Honestly? As long as they don’t try to kick me off a train for presenting an e-ticket they can do what they like. If they do, however – they can try: I think the BTP who end up responding to take me off will take a dim view of their time being wasted.

19. A lot of calls for the head sod train guards.

    Obviously this story is stupid and train guards shouldn’t be incentived for tickets, they also aren’t bouncers, but it’s often useful to have a neutral party for seat dispute, no, not expecting them to eject a party of road men, but 9/10 seat disputes are more civilised

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