HELEN HAYES QUIZZES MINISTER OVER TRAIN PASSENGERS COMPENSATION
MP Helen Hayes has raised the issue of train passengers consumer rights in Parliament.
In a written question she asked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government is taking to provide passengers with information on their rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 related to train companies’ compliance with consumer law.
Responding, Paul Maynard, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport), wrote: “It is the responsibility of train operators, as service providers, to ensure that their customers are made aware of their rights to compensation or other redress in cases of service failure or disruption.
“Train operators’ own compensation schemes provide the main means of redress for passengers.
“My Department has worked with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), industry and consumer groups to identify actions to improve passenger awareness of their rights to claim compensation, including all options open to them.
“The ORR has also been working with the Rail Delivery Group and individual train operators over the last year to raise their awareness of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) and their obligations under it.
“The Consumer Rights Act 2015 came into force for all transport providers on 1 October 2016.
“Information about the Consumer Rights Act is widely available from the Citizens Advice Consumer Service, consumer organisations and government websites. “Transport Focus, the independent transport user watchdog, has produced a guide to passengers’ rights under the Consumer Rights Act, which is available on their website.”
Helen Hayes (Labour, Dulwich and West Norwood) also put several other written questions asking the Secretary of State for Transport:
how much and for what reasons compensation has been paid by Govia Thameslink to passengers under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
how much and for what reasons compensation has been paid by Southern Rail to
passengers under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
how much and for what reasons compensation has been paid by South Eastern to
passengers under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
In each case the answers from Mr Maynard were almost the same:
The Government is not required to collect information on compensation paid by train operators to their customers under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which came into force for all transport providers on 1 October 2016, and does not hold this information. (All three answers)
It is the responsibility of train operators to ensure that their customers are made aware of their rights to compensation or other redress in cases of service failure or disruption. Train operators’ existing compensation schemes provide the main means of redress for passengers. (Southern and Southeastern answers only). Sources: TheyWorkForYou / Hansard