Child Fare Raheny Dart Station

Caroleia

hi has anyone else had this experience? I arrived at Raheny Dart station this morning with my son and tried to use the machine to buy two return tickets to Bray. The machine does not display any option for a child fare and in the end I was forced to buy a return adult ticket for my son. This was after being advised by another mother who came through with a child that she has to do this all the time. Needless to say although the office appeared to be open there was no attendant in site and we waited a good ten minutes before purchasing the tickets as a Dart was coming. I am annoyed about this to say the least. It cost €14.50 when it should have cost €10.05. I asked at Bray could I get a refund and was told no, but that the option to buy a child ticket was taken off the machines because so many adults were buying child tickets, and that I should have boarded the Dart without a ticket for my child and paid for him on exit (yeah and risk a big fine) If this is the case why is this information not posted on the machines?-how convenient for Irish Rail. Am rapidly going from annoyed to furious as I type this!

Victor

If you select an adult ticket, you should then be able to add a child ticket.

You could also look at Leap Card (child leap cards are different) and family tickets.

Caroleia

thanks but I was using a leap card - however there was no option to select a child ticket - the only option on the screen was for another adult-and the guy at Bray was quite familiar with this. Thats what was so frustrating!

Caroleia

ps family ticket is €15 -so I did manage to 'save' 50c

No Pants

Caroleia wrote: »

I should have boarded the Dart without a ticket for my child and paid for him on exit

Ask for that In writing or next time set your phone to record. Revenue protection taking crazy steps again.

Caroleia

thanks - and maybe not so crazy after all they stand to gain a lot this summer by this measure. I've just realised, its really only a problem if you're taking only one child so they are probably assuming people won't kick up. They are wrong though. I intend to pursue this!

foggy_lad

Caroleia wrote: »

Needless to say although the office appeared to be open there was no attendant in site and we waited a good ten minutes before purchasing the tickets as a Dart was coming. I am annoyed about this to say the least. It cost €14.50 when it should have cost €10.05. I asked at Bray could I get a refund and was told no,

Firstly the booking office was unattended and the vending machine could not sell you a ticket so you are entitled to travel without a ticket as long as you buy the appropriate ticket at your destination!

Irish Rail have previously said that refunds will be given but the staff that should know about this tell people there are no refunds!

but that the option to buy a child ticket was taken off the machines because so many adults were buying child tickets,

This is Irish Rail's problem not their passengers but instead of dealing with fare evasion they just refuse to sell child tickets?

and that I should have boarded the Dart without a ticket for my child and paid for him on exit (yeah and risk a big fine)

This is exactly what you and all parents should do in future as it is in the company bye-laws that if a ticket is unavailable or can't be sold to you at the station when boarding then you are entitled to board the train and buy your ticket at your destination and if your destination is similarly unable to sell you the appropriate ticket then you travel free![/QUOTE]

If this is the case why is this information not posted on the machines?-how convenient for Irish Rail. Am rapidly going from annoyed to furious as I type this!

Yes it is very convenient for Irish Rail as most people don't know their rights when using the train. Also if approached by RPU staff most people are going to be thinking that these staff will not believe them and fine them anyway. Yuo only have to read attitudes here by IR supporters when someone posts about being fined for boarding at say Broombridge(where you cant buy a ticket or even tag on with a leap card as the validators are gone) without a ticket or without tagging on their leap card.

No Pants wrote: »

Ask for that In writing or next time set your phone to record. Revenue protection taking crazy steps again.

I doubt they will give anything in writing, I am still waiting over two years for a promised written apology from Irish rail! And I can't see any IR staff member knowingly allowing themselves to be recorded, they would most likely just close the window and walk away

foggy_lad

Victor wrote: »

If you select an adult ticket, you should then be able to add a child ticket.

You could also look at Leap Card (child leap cards are different) and family tickets.

Many adults will be buying a ticket just for their child using cash or their credit card and it would not be practical to give the child the cash.

ArmaniJeanss

Fell for this in Bray myself the other night.

Train arriving in one minute according to the display, so as I was getting an adult ticket from one machine I gave my niece enough coins to get her child ticket from the adjacent machine.

I finish my transaction and free up the machine for the next person in line, meanwhile my niece can't find the child ticket option so I take charge but can't find it myself and end up having to pay €3.30 because I assume I'm just not seeing the correct option and that we would be hit with a big fine at Tara if she hops on without a ticket.

Shower of %^&$s.

foggy_lad

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Fell for this in Bray myself the other night.

Train arriving in one minute according to the display, so as I was getting an adult ticket from one machine I gave my niece enough coins to get her child ticket from the adjacent machine.

I finish my transaction and free up the machine for the next person in line, meanwhile my niece can't find the child ticket option so I take charge but can't find it myself and end up having to pay €3.30 because I assume I'm just not seeing the correct option and that we would be hit with a big fine at Tara if she hops on without a ticket.

Shower of %^&$s.

Irish Rail just tell people to buy their children leap cards. instead of just doing their job right the company make the customer do all the work!

Hilly Bill

foggy_lad wrote: »

Irish Rail just tell people to buy their children leap cards. instead of just doing their job right the company make the customer do all the work!

If you ask them nice , maybe they will fill out the form for you.

No Pants

foggy_lad wrote: »

Firstly the booking office was unattended and the vending machine could not sell you a ticket so you are entitled to travel without a ticket as long as you buy the appropriate ticket at your destination!

Would be wise to take a few snaps of the empty office and the available TVM options on your phone just in case.

Hilly Bill

"Firstly the booking office was unattended and the vending machine could not sell you a ticket so you are entitled to travel without a ticket as long as you buy the appropriate ticket at your destination!"

You are wrong Foggy, that only applies if the machine is unable to sell the adult tickets. If the booking office is closed then you buy an adult ticket for a child. Its not ideal but a child's ticket is a concession not a right.

Caroleia

thanks to all for the replies Call me cynical but I just would not take the chance of travelling without a ticket. However I am hoping to get back to the dart station today or tomorrow just to query it. It really is very frustrating. Yes I def should have taken a photo of the empty booth. The guy at Bray was really nice btw, he was doing his best to be helpful. The staff usually are ime. I will post back with an update later!

No Pants

Waste of time at the DART station. Try Head Office the next time you're in the area.

Infini

Caroleia wrote: »

thanks but I was using a leap card - however there was no option to select a child ticket - the only option on the screen was for another adult-and the guy at Bray was quite familiar with this. Thats what was so frustrating!

If your travelling with a child you can get a child leap card in the shops that sell to use. Since the credit doesnt expire it can be used at anytime so your able to pay with it if noones there.

foggy_lad wrote: »

This is Irish Rail's problem not their passengers but instead of dealing with fare evasion they just refuse to sell child tickets?

You know the old saying "you abuse it you lose it" well thats what happened cos that many people were abusing it from what I heard.

Caroleia wrote: »

thanks to all for the replies Call me cynical but I just would not take the chance of travelling without a ticket. However I am hoping to get back to the dart station today or tomorrow just to query it. It really is very frustrating. Yes I def should have taken a photo of the empty booth. The guy at Bray was really nice btw, he was doing his best to be helpful. The staff usually are ime. I will post back with an update later!

Photo wouldnt really have helped much in this case but as it stands if you have a ticket and dont have one for the child your ok. RPU dont fine people if the children dont have tickets because theres noone in the booking office to buy one for whatever reason (wheelchair,break,unmanned etc), its only if adults dont have tickets that theyre fined unless its a case of a station being completely locked down or all the machines reported as faulty.

Basically so long as you have a ticket your fine if your coming from a station thats not manned at the time and you cant buy a child ticket.

foggy_lad

Child leap cards cant be got. In any shops!

...Snip!

Given you or nobody here else has ever seen an RPU member doing this, you will be infracted if you post such inflammatory make believe fiction again.

- Mod

nodnod

Hi , I wrote to Minister Varadker today and got this reply tonight

Thank you for your e-mail which has been forwarded to me by the Minister’s office for direct reply.

Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail has instructed it ticket machine supplier to make the necessary software changes to allow for the sale of Child tickets in the Short Hop Zone. This software change will be delivered in the 4th quarter of 2013 and should be operational by year end. The best value Child ticket in the Short Hop Zone is the Child Leap ticket which can be purchased from www.leapcard.ie and used throughout the Short Hop Zone.

I would Iike to apologise for the delay in responding to your previous correspondence and I have raised this issue with the Customer Relationship Manager.

Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention.

I trust this clarifies the situation.

Yours sincerely,

David Franks
Chief Executive Irish Rail

I have written back to explain that this issue has been happening for nearly a year and yet it is taken over a year to resolve I am sending them the links form boards.ie to show customer frustration for being overcharged for so long.
I hope I am of help to our quest to have child tickets with child fares available on ticket machines

Infini

Well thats gonna be a laugh they took the Child Tickets off the machines in the first place quite bluntly because last time they were on the machine cheaparses were buying the child tickets instead of the adult tickets to evade the fare and it reached rampant levels of abuse.

/facepalm

goingnowhere

True, but with a massive increase in ticket checks its going to be fun to see the fare dodgers getting caught