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Companion free travel pass use when DART/Train station ticket office is closed.

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Comments

  • #32
    Hilly Bill
    Registered Users Posts: 6,039 ✭✭✭Hilly Bill


    Jamie2k9 wrote: »
    At no point should a staff member refuse to let passengers through barriers if they have a valid ticket.

    It doesn't happen if they have a valid ticket.


  • #33
    Spanish Eyes
    Registered Users Posts: 15,865 ✭✭✭✭Spanish Eyes


    OP here.

    This is the reply I got from IR and TBH I am none the wiser really! It doesn't clarify what happens at DART stations where there is no ticket office which is what I specifically asked about.

    "Thank you, for contacting our Irish Rail, Customer Information Department.

    Customers with a Free Travel Companion Pass must present their pass at the Booking Office before travel.

    If the Booking Office is closed customers may board the train and present their pass to a staff member if requested.



    Thank you, for taking the time to contact us.


    Yours sincerely,

    Thomas O'Leary.
    Customer Information, Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail, Connolly Station, Dublin 1 D01 V6V6"

    I happened to be passing by Pearse Station yesterday and asked this question at the information desk, the reply was that the companion just follows the card holder through the barrier!


  • #34
    Hilly Bill
    Registered Users Posts: 6,039 ✭✭✭Hilly Bill


    Spanish Eyes wrote: »
    OP here.

    This is the reply I got from IR and TBH I am none the wiser really! It doesn't clarify what happens at DART stations where there is no ticket office which is what I specifically asked about.

    "Thank you, for contacting our Irish Rail, Customer Information Department.

    Customers with a Free Travel Companion Pass must present their pass at the Booking Office before travel.

    If the Booking Office is closed customers may board the train and present their pass to a staff member if requested.



    Thank you, for taking the time to contact us.


    Yours sincerely,

    Thomas O'Leary.
    Customer Information, Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail, Connolly Station, Dublin 1 D01 V6V6"

    I happened to be passing by Pearse Station yesterday and asked this question at the information desk, the reply was that the companion just follows the card holder through the barrier!

    That's what you do but if the station in unmanned then a gate would or should be left open so you just walk through. There is plenty of time for both to pass through the gate if the first person doesn't decide to stop half way and block the other person.


  • #35
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    Should do away with the barriers and have inspectors on trains.

    The amount that don't pay or validate their travel is astonishing.


  • #36
    Spanish Eyes
    Registered Users Posts: 15,865 ✭✭✭✭Spanish Eyes


    Hilly Bill wrote: »
    That's what you do but if the station in unmanned then a gate would or should be left open so you just walk through. There is plenty of time for both to pass through the gate if the first person doesn't decide to stop half way and block the other person.

    First person (FTP card holder) is disabled that's why they have a companion pass. Unfortunately cannot move that fast through the barriers.

    There were no barriers left open at Pearse Station the other day, I was looking and doing my research! I do realise that there are different banks of barriers in that station, but honestly I saw no open barrier for the type of situation I was referring to at my exit point from the DART onto Westland Row..


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  • #37
    Hilly Bill
    Registered Users Posts: 6,039 ✭✭✭Hilly Bill


    Spanish Eyes wrote: »
    First person (FTP card holder) is disabled that's why they have a companion pass. Unfortunately cannot move that fast through the barriers.

    There were no barriers left open at Pearse Station the other day, I was looking and doing my research! I do realise that there are different banks of barriers in that station, but honestly I saw no open barrier for the type of situation I was referring to at my exit point from the DART onto Westland Row..

    Some assumption there. Plenty of companion pass holders are able bodied and travel alone


  • #38
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    Free travel is open for so much now kids even have them.

    I come across many school kids and they try and bring a friend.

    Have many bring their companion and the card holder leaves and the one without continue on their journey.

    Companion passes are for anyone over 70 and anyone under that age that need care such as a helper but this is being badly abused also the same as the spouse/cohabitation pass where the pass holder brings their mates or other family members etc.....


  • #39
    Corca Baiscinn
    Registered Users Posts: 643 ✭✭✭Corca Baiscinn


    Hilly Bill wrote: »
    Some assumption there. Plenty of companion pass holders are able bodied and travel alone
    I understood the OP to be saying that the specific person for whom s/he is a companion is disabled and unable to move quickly through the barrier. I dont think s/he was making any comment re disabled people in general. And in his/her experience there wasn't a barrier open at the station she checked out so if the person for whom she is a companion had been travelling with her there would have been a problem


  • #40
    Spanish Eyes
    Registered Users Posts: 15,865 ✭✭✭✭Spanish Eyes


    Corca Baiscinn wrote: »
    I understood the OP to be saying that the specific person for whom s/he is a companion is disabled and unable to move quickly through the barrier. I dont think s/he was making any comment re disabled people in general. And in his/her experience there wasn't a barrier open at the station she checked out so if the person for whom she is a companion had been travelling with her there would have been a problem

    Spot on thanks!

    In fairness I didn't say that the primary FTP holder was disabled in OP. So my mistake there.

    But everything else you said is correct.

    To be fair there are many FTP +C holders who are fit and healthy, they get a companion pass for their spouse/cp/cohabitee under the rules.

    The person to whom I am referring is single, and has a companion pass due to disability.

    I did omit that fact in error, sorry.


  • #41
    Corca Baiscinn
    Registered Users Posts: 643 ✭✭✭Corca Baiscinn


    Spanish Eyes wrote: »
    To be fair there are many FTP +C holders who are fit and healthy, they get a companion pass for their spouse/cp/cohabitee under the rules..

    Not the topic of your thread but I often think that the automatic pass for a partner is not really justified cost wise, though to be fair I dont know the actual cost. For a couple, once one of the parties gets a FT pass their PT travel costs disappear whereas if only the person who reaches 66 first got it the costs would halve in any case, until the other person reached 66 which still wouldn't be a bad deal imo. It means that for couples where there is an age discrepancy, the younger partner can enjoy several years of free travel. Not sure its justified in the context of all the needs out there


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  • #42
    Hilly Bill
    Registered Users Posts: 6,039 ✭✭✭Hilly Bill


    Corca Baiscinn wrote: »
    I understood the OP to be saying that the specific person for whom s/he is a companion is disabled and unable to move quickly through the barrier. I dont think s/he was making any comment re disabled people in general. And in his/her experience there wasn't a barrier open at the station she checked out so if the person for whom she is a companion had been travelling with her there would have been a problem

    The op could have prevented the barrier from closing.


  • #43
    frogstar
    Registered Users Posts: 709 ✭✭✭frogstar


    Spanish Eyes wrote: »
    First person (FTP card holder) is disabled that's why they have a companion pass. Unfortunately cannot move that fast through the barriers.

    There were no barriers left open at Pearse Station the other day, I was looking and doing my research! I do realise that there are different banks of barriers in that station, but honestly I saw no open barrier for the type of situation I was referring to at my exit point from the DART onto Westland Row..

    If you are going to pearse they always have someone manned at barrier to take tickets, queries etc.... Its too big a station to leave a barrier open as open to abuse.

    Someone mentioned malahide. As far as I remember they have two exits. One would require a ticket and the other is the main entrance that would be manned or left opened

    There will always be issues with tickets etc... So they are not going to leave you stuck at a station if you don't have one and they have no staff on. Its cheaper to leave open rather than man at quieter times.


  • #44
    ExoPolitic
    Registered Users Posts: 353 ✭✭ExoPolitic


    Corca Baiscinn wrote: »
    Not the topic of your thread but I often think that the automatic pass for a partner is not really justified cost wise, though to be fair I dont know the actual cost. For a couple, once one of the parties gets a FT pass their PT travel costs disappear whereas if only the person who reaches 66 first got it the costs would halve in any case, until the other person reached 66 which still wouldn't be a bad deal imo. It means that for couples where there is an age discrepancy, the younger partner can enjoy several years of free travel. Not sure its justified in the context of all the needs out there
    I used to travel with somebody who presents as able bodied... they were registered blind and could only see six feet, so they couldn't read the destination blinds on the trains/buses and required somebody to be with them to aid this. They could walk down the pavement fine and appear to be normal, but had no hope in hell of using public transport. The cost to hire people to do this compared to just using a companion FTP doesn't even compare.


  • #45
    bluezulu49
    Registered Users Posts: 229 ✭✭bluezulu49


    Jamie2k9 wrote: »
    ...and a card will only open for one person even if a companion is traveling.

    I have had a FT + S pass for some years now and mainly use it on the DART. When I first got it I asked station staff how I should use it to let my wife through the barrier. I was told to have her approach the barrier first, tag on with my pass and follow her through the barrier. This has worked for us for the last five years on all DART stations we have used.


  • #46
    Corca Baiscinn
    Registered Users Posts: 643 ✭✭✭Corca Baiscinn


    ExoPolitic wrote: »
    I used to travel with somebody who presents as able bodied... they were registered blind and could only see six feet, so they couldn't read the destination blinds on the trains/buses and required somebody to be with them to aid this. They could walk down the pavement fine and appear to be normal, but had no hope in hell of using public transport. The cost to hire people to do this compared to just using a companion FTP doesn't even compare.

    Yes, I agree. I mentioned 66 to show I was expressing an opinion re able-bodied "Pensioner" FTP not Disability based FTP who of course may need a companion


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