§ 3. Mr. DENNIS HERBERTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is by order of the Railway Executive that railway companies now insist upon payment in full of fares by season-ticket holders when, owing to inadvertence, they are unable to produce their season tickets, and decline to refund the amount on subsequent production of the season ticket; and, if so, whether he will now arrange to allow the railway companies to revert to their former practice of not exacting a second payment when satisfied of the good faith of the traveller or of refunding the second payment on subsequent production of the ticket?
§ Sir A. GEDDESInstructions were issued by the Railway Executive Committee at the end of 1916 to the effect that season-ticket holders when unable to produce their tickets should be called upon to pay the full ordinary fare. The objects of these instructions were (1) to check fraud, (2) to enable economy in the staffs of the railway companies to be effected. I can assure the hon. Member that the provision of a staff to deal with applications for the refund of fares from passengers claiming to be season-ticket holders but unable to produce their tickets on demand would be an expensive concession to meet a grievance of this nature. I would remind him that one of the con- 1311 ditions on which season tickets are issued is that they shall be produced on demand or the full ordinary fare be paid.
§ Mr. HERBERTDoes not the right hon. Gentleman recognise that this leads to very considerable irritation and that the correspondence necessary in dealing with dissatisfied season-ticket holders is probably greater than that entailed by repayment of the money?
§ Sir A. GEDDESThe obvious remedy is to avoid the irritation by carrying the ticket.