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The barriers are up at Britomart in preparation for this week’s start of an ARTA’s crackdown on train fare evasion.
You will have to show a train ticket to get through the Britomart barriers
On Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon from 3.30pm during the afternoon peak rush, there will be a full ticket inspection before you board at Britomart.
You will be asked to show a valid ticket on the platform before you can get through to the actual trains.
You may also have to show your ticket to the guard on the train as well.
Britomart will be the only station that has the inspections.
While ARTA is making a fuss of this week’s inspections, you won’t necessarily have any warning next time and the authority warn there will more such pre-boarding ticket checks at Britomart and other stations from now on.
Their message: “Please help us with this to ensure all customers pay- it’s fairer for everyone.”
22 Comments
Maybe the cops could be next - they could twitter where they are on patrol at any moment? Would be very useful for some people too.
Rather odd to make a big song and dance about it.
I wonder if that’s where our future ticket gates will go?
Happen to agree about having given so much notice but next time lets hope its not notified but just happens and that they do other stations as well
I still don’t understand why Auckland does not have electronic ticket barriers. They have been upgrading all the stations etc for years now but something that should be as simple as electronic ticket barriers still seems a long way off.
I think it’s likely we’ll have barriers at Britomart, Newmarket and perhaps New Lynn some time in the next year and a bit.
@Brad: We’ll need machine readable tickets before we can have electronic barriers. Currently trains are still using punch card tickets. So electronic barriers will be most likely be introduced at the same time as smart card ticketing.
Apparently another use of these ticket checks is to monitor traffic flows through Britomart. Perhaps to help decide where ticket barriers will be placed?
They have done random checks when getting off the train, the only thing that is new is this check is happening before you get on the train
I’d expect gates and barriers to be installed and left open well before the introduction of the new ticket itself.
Just a question, what is the legal right of Veolia to refuse someone to board a train without a ticket when they are sold on board?
Jon, I assume they can simply tell them to buy it at the checking point.
You could argue they are not preventing anyone from boarding a train but simply stopping people getting onto the platform. This would be no different to any other business preventing access certain part of their premises.
Also I think Violia are allowed to prevent people from getting on a train if they want, they can certainly make people get off.
@ Jon R
I imagine it’s the same as Tranz Metro in Wellington where buying a ticket to get on to the platform at Wellington Station is required late night Friday and Saturday and after major stadium events …
Veolia don’t own Britomart and the access arrangemnt is with ARTA. However since there is open access to the station, and there is nothing stopping somebody going down to platform level, walking along the platform and up at the other end, does ARTA or Veolia have the right to stop people.
What is the legal position here?
Chris, you would need a lawyer to test that, and I think we occupy enough of them.
Chris - Britomart should not be being used as a throughfare in the first place. I think that the Auckland city council actuall own the station and I assume they would have given permission for this as without it the amount in subsidies that they need to pay may actually increase. Regardless I don’t see why this would be an issue and that there needs to be open acess all the time.
I actually don’t think that Britomart is the problem as leaving it everyone needs to pay, more of an issue are the other stations where people hop on and pretend to have been on the train for longer than they have.
Thanks for your thoughts, though obviously to stop you boarding a train at any station you need to be breaking a publicly announced bylaw. I’m not aware of this. Have any you believing they have the right to stop you found that bylaw? If not…then it does not exist as you are abiding by the terms and conditions of purchasing a ticket on board.
I don’t mind the checks and think they are overdue (though Britomart isn’t really the problem station as others have noted).
From the Veolia website I could not find a rule stopping me from entering at Britomart without a ticket:
For travel from Britomart, Newmarket or Papakura it is recommended that you buy your ticket at the station ticket office before you board the train.
Most train stations have a local ticket agent nearby. All tickets, except Singles and Tertiary, are available from all agents. Contact MAXX to locate your nearest ticket agent.
Purchasing onboard the train
Train staff accept cash for payment of fares and passes. Exact change is appreciated, however small notes can usually be accepted and change given. Train staff will come around the train and collect your fare after you have boarded.
@ Chris R
Is open access something is actually guaranteed, or just something that has been tolerated thus far? Personally, I suspect the latter …
@ Jon R
“obviously to stop you boarding a train at any station you need to be breaking a publicly announced bylaw”
Do you? As I said Tranz Metro have been doing it for years in Wellington with no apparent complaint. A quick squiz at their conditions of carriage didn’t find anything about paying to get on to the platform either …
This reminds me about the Hamilton City Gardens trying to have CBT petition gathers thrown out of the gardens by security guards a month ago. However, once challenged by Cr MacPhearson they backed down as it was clear we were not breaching any of the bylaws.
So they tell you you can’t do something, but once questioned they have no authority to stop you. I fear this is the case with the ticket check as well.
If any public body wants to force you to do something then have the bylaws sorted out first. Otherwise they are acting illegally from blocking your access.
Does anyone have the 100% correct bylaw information here? Facts, not speculation, would be appreciated.
@ Jon R
The question is: are station platforms public space in the same way that parks & public roads are?
As you have asked for facts I won’t attempt to answer as that would just be more speculation…
@ Jon R
Further to the above, I suggest that you look at the Railways Act 2005, particularly the section about rules and also Veolia Transport’s conditions of carriage (if you haven’t already done so).
“Passengers
Each passenger must comply with any notice or instruction given by the operator or any of its employees concerning passenger conduct or the operation of any passenger service or entry into a designated area. Passengers may ride only in areas of the train designated by the operator.”
Guess it comes down to whether Britomart is a “designated area” (and possibly whether it is covered by “railway premises”). Don’t think any bylaws are involved … (but thats just my opinion so probably worth sod all)