DLR: Penalty Kick
Submitted on 25 March, 2007 - 14:20
On the DLR, a certain Service Team Leader is causing grief amongst staff. He has developed a nasty habit of taking people to one side and giving them an ear-bashing about penalty fares. Some people might call his behaviour 'bullying'. Especially if he pressurises staff working alone on trains to dish out penalty fares and put themselves in danger of a punch in the face.
The company should note that targets for penalty fares are a nonsense. Penalty fares, we are continually told, are supposed to discourage fraudulent travel. If the system works effectively, everyone will buy a ticket and no-one will incur a penalty fare. In which case, perhaps the staff's target should be 'zero'.
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serco dlr penalty fares
I was one of them who was taken to one side and was told to do more penalty fares.To be honest we was trained to avoid conflict and it states in the handbook not to get into conflict situations that can delay the service.We have so called TSO (train safety officers) they go around in groups and do blocks and they get alot of penalty fares because they are in a group but the TC or VO sometimes called are on our own to defend ones self.We have a choice to issue a penalty fare but i would rather kick them off or let them buy a ticket just to avoid conflict or what 30 mins for the boys in blue.....
A Pattern
This is becoming a pattern across the railway industry. Southeastern are trying to cut ticket office opening hours and increase lone working amongst revenue staff.
Heavy-handedness from a manager is going to pressure people into doing penalty fares even if they are on their own, even if it puts them at risk. So we should stand by each other, complain as individuals about any manager who tries to bully people, and get our union to complain too. That way we can stop intimidation and give each other the confidence not to give in to it.
Oh, and we might be trained to avoid conflict, but the passengers aren't!