Annual Commuter Rail & DART

PJ4

Hi,

Quick question, I have an Annual Commuter Rail & DART ticket.
Do I need to tag on and tag off for every journey?
Thanks.

loyatemu

PJ4 wrote: »

Hi,

Quick question, I have an Annual Commuter Rail & DART ticket.
Do I need to tag on and tag off for every journey?
Thanks.

I think technically you're supposed to. I don't always, and I doubt they'd do anything if they checked your ticket and you weren't tagged on (I suspect if it went to court, a judge would throw the case out).

In fact I've forgotten my ticket a couple of times, been fined getting off in Connolly and subsequently had the fine quashed by emailing them my ticket number. I also can't remember the last time my ticket was checked on a train.

PJ4

loyatemu wrote: »

I think technically you're supposed to. I don't always, and I doubt they'd do anything if they checked your ticket and you weren't tagged on (I suspect if it went to court, a judge would throw the case out).

In fact I've forgotten my ticket a couple of times, been fined getting off in Connolly and subsequently had the fine quashed by emailing them my ticket number. I also can't remember the last time my ticket was checked on a train.

This morning on my way to work the ticket inspectors got on the train. I got lectured for not tagging on. I told him I didn't think it was necessary as it's an annual ticket and not a top up leap card. To be honest, it was laughable, he was talking down to me like a child. He said he'd make a note of my number and if it happens again I would be fined. I've a feeling he will give me a fine. So if I receive a fine, I should email Irish Rail to explain what happened and give them my ticket number?

thomasj

PJ4 wrote:

This morning on my way to work the ticket inspectors got on the train. I got lectured for not tagging on. I told him I didn't think it was necessary as it's an annual ticket and not a top up leap card. To be honest, it was laughable, he was talking down to me like a child. He said he'd make a note of my number and if it happens again I would be fined. I've a feeling he will give me a fine. So if I receive a fine, I should email Irish Rail to explain what happened and give them my ticket number?

I thought inspectors couldnt see your ticket unless you had tagged on?

PJ4

thomasj wrote: »

I thought inspectors couldnt see your ticket unless you had tagged on?

I'm not sure to be honest. I wanted to find out what the correct procedure was so I sent a Tweet to Irish Rail this morning and I received this reply.

Q. @IrishRail Hi, quick question, I have an Annual Commuter Rail & DART ticket.
Do I need to tag on and tag off for each journey?

A. You don't have to technically have to. But you may need it to open the gates at stations

thomasj

PJ4 wrote: »

I'm not sure to be honest. I wanted to find out what the correct procedure was so I sent a Tweet to Irish Rail this morning and I received this reply.

Q. @IrishRail Hi, quick question, I have an Annual Commuter Rail & DART ticket.
Do I need to tag on and tag off for each journey?

A. You don't have to technically have to. But you may need it to open the gates at stations

Here is a leaflet issued by the taxsaver unit, there is a question in the section under "fare evasion"
https://www.leapcard.ie/en/_uploads/TaxSaver%20Leap%20Card%20Information.pdf

You must have a valid ticket to travel. This
means you must Touch On at the start of your
journey. If you are asked by an employee of a
transport operator to show your ticket, show
your Leap Card. This can be checked to show
that you have Touched On correctly. If you do
not have a valid ticket you will be issued with
a Standard Fare Notice.

PJ4

thomasj wrote: »

Here is a leaflet issued by the taxsaver unit, there is a question in the section under "fare evasion"
https://www.leapcard.ie/en/_uploads/TaxSaver%20Leap%20Card%20Information.pdf

I think there needs to be some clarity between the different types of ticket. Leap card top up and the Taxsaver annual ticket. They are two completely different types of card. The above quote makes sense to the leap card top up because it deducts money for each journey and therefore it's important to tag on and tag off, but the Taxsaver annual ticket is paid and the relevance of the tag on shouldn't apply, because no money is deducted from the card. I believe the job of the ticket inspectors is to check for customers who don't have a valid ticket for their journey or customers who are trying to avoid paying for their fare. I have a valid ticket for my journey and have paid for my fare, so surely common sense should have been applied in this instance.

schemingbohemia

Surely common sense would also dictate to just tag on to save any potential hassle?

loyatemu

You must have a valid ticket to travel. This
means you must Touch On at the start of your
journey. If you are asked by an employee of a
transport operator to show your ticket, show
your Leap Card. This can be checked to show
that you have Touched On correctly. If you do
not have a valid ticket you will be issued with
a Standard Fare Notice.

that's their interpretation - I'd like to see that tested in court (not by me though).

If you showed up in court with proof that you'd paid for your ticket, that you'd had your ticket with you and that the inspector had verified that you had the ticket, I'd expect the case to be thrown out. I'm sure IÉ are aware of this which is why the inspectors just give a warning - has anyone ever actually been fined for not being tagged on?

Zaph

I have an annual taxsaver card and I never tag on. I've had my card checked a number of times when I've reached my destination and it's never been an issue. In fact not once has an inspector even mentioned it.

cython

One caveat that I would always offer to people who don't bother tagging on with an annual/monthly ticket, if you are using this to travel on a route that you think is under-serviced/overloaded/etc., then you may be part of that problem. While Irish Rail do carry out an annual rail census that should feed into resourcing rolling stock, if everyone were to tag on it would also provide a much clearer picture of patterns year round, as well as the actual end-to-end journeys undertaken - the census just tracks numbers on and off in stations, not what stations people are travelling between. Bearing in mind that most of these monthly/annual tickets are zonal rather than point to point, if you don't tag on/off in the morning/evening respectively, and just seem to alight and board in the city centre, they have know way of knowing what remote station you are travelling to/from.

Now I'm not naive enough to think for a minute that this would actually influence Irish Rail's allocation of stock, but for as long as lots of people only tag on/off in the city centre, then they can point to that as an excuse.

Infini

To be honest its not that hard to tag on or off. If anything the reason is so passenger numbers are accurately counted. It doesnt help that the system atm is patchwork disaster there should be manned stations and gates closed during the day at least to encourage people to be doing this.

Hilly Bill

It could also be to make sure that you are travelling withing the limits .

AlanG

Some times when I have not tagged on and an inspector checked it they have asked me to tag on in future so they can definitely see the ticket. I am pretty sure the by laws state that you must have a valid ticket and therefore they could not fine you because you did not tag on as you do have a valid annual ticket on you.

Hilly Bill

I can't see the issue with just tagging on at a barrier barring any faults.

Pipmae

A ticket inspector told me it was necessary to tag on/off at every journey so their software systems could record passenger numbers. They use passenger numbers to review capacity on trains so it's important for them to know the numbers travelling.

Losty Dublin

loyatemu wrote: »

that's their interpretation - I'd like to see that tested in court (not by me though).

If you showed up in court with proof that you'd paid for your ticket, that you'd had your ticket with you and that the inspector had verified that you had the ticket, I'd expect the case to be thrown out. I'm sure IÉ are aware of this which is why the inspectors just give a warning - has anyone ever actually been fined for not being tagged on?

It happens occasionally whereby leap cards and passes have to be cancelled. Were you to be the bearer of such a pass then you are traveling without a valid ticket and thus liable for the standard fare.