Ticketing practices in certain large European cities

1
Ticketing practices in certain large European
cities
Questionnaire to the EMTA network
2
Background and methods

• HSL will upgrade its ticketing and information
  system by the end of 2015. HSL will also
  introduce a new fare and ticketing system at the
  earliest in 2017 and is considering making
  changes to the current discount and free ticket
  groups in this connection.
• With this in mind, HSL wanted to study which
  customer groups are entitled to discounts, free
  tickets or rights to travel without a ticket in
  other large European cities.
• The study was conducted using a questionnaire
  sent to the members of the EMTA network in
  November 2014.
• A total of 17 cities responded to the survey
  (including Helsinki).

3

• The following cities responded to the survey

• Stockholm (Sweden)
• Copenhagen (Denmark)
• Oslo (Norway)
• Berlin (Germany)
• Vilnius (Lithuania)
• London (Great Britain)
• West-Midlands (Great Britain)
• Amsterdam (the Netherlands)

• Paris (France)
• Lyon (France)
• Warsow (Poland)
• Prague (Czech Republic)
• Budapest (Hungary)
• Turin (Italy)
• Madrid (Spain)
• Barcelona (Spain)
• Helsinki (Finland)

4
Children

• Small children can travel free of charge in all
  of the cities
• In most of the cities, children are granted a
  right to travel without a ticket, some cities
  offer free tickets.
• There is substantial variation in the cut-off age
  for small children the upper age limit varies
  between 3 and 15 years, typically free travel is
  granted to children aged under 4-6 years
• Slightly older children are offered discounts in
  some cities
• The discounts vary, price e.g. 30/50/70 of the
  adult fare.
• The lower and upper age limits vary from city to
  city (between about 4 and 17 years)
• Discounts apply on season and/or value tickets
  and/or single tickets depending on the city

5
Students

• With the exception of two cities, there are
  student tickets (discount or free tickets) in all
  of the cities.
• Discount tickets are offered in most of the
  cities
• The discount varies from city to city (price e.g.
  about 30/40/50/70/80 of the adult fare)
• In some of the cities, there is a cut-off age for
  discount tickets (e.g. 18 or 26 years)
• Discounts apply on season and/or value tickets
  and/or single tickets depending on the city
• Free tickets are offered in three cities (in some
  of them, there is an upper age limit, e.g. 17
  years, or other limitations)

6
Young people

• Young people are offered discounts in many cities
  (11/17 cities)
• The discounts vary, price about 50/60/70 of the
  adult fare
• The upper age limit varies from city to city
  (about between 14 and 25)
• Discounts typically apply on season tickets but
  in some cities discounts are offered on value
  and/or single tickets
• One city offers free tickets to young people
  (under certain conditions)

7
Pensioners

• Pensioners get discounts in about half of the
  cities studied
• In some of the cities, there is a lower age limit
  which varies (usually at 60/70 years)
• The discounts vary, price about 35/50/75 of the
  adult fare
• Discounts apply on season and/or value tickets
  and/or single tickets depending on the city
• One city offers pensioners off-peak free tickets

8
Seniors

• Senior citizens are offered discounts or free
  tickets in nearly all of the cities (14/17)
• Discounts are offered in 11 cities
• The lower age limit varies from city to city (at
  60-80 years, on average at 65)
• The discounts vary, price about 30/50/60 of the
  adult fare
• Discounts typically apply on season tickets but
  also on value and/or single tickets depending on
  the city
• In four cities, seniors can travel on free
  tickets or without a ticket
• Seniors of limited means can travel on free
  tickets in some cities

9
Mobility impaired people

• Mobility impaired people are offered discounts or
  free tickets in nearly all of the cities (15/17)
• Discounts are available in ten cities
• The discounts vary, price about 30/50/80 of the
  adult fare
• Discounts apply mainly on season tickets
• In six cities mobility impaired people can travel
  on free tickets or without a ticket

10
Blind people

• The blind are offered discounts or free tickets
  in nearly all of the cities (14/17)
• Discounts are available in five cities
• The discounts vary, price about 1/50/95 of the
  adult fare
• Discounts apply mainly on season tickets
• Seven cities offer free tickets

11
Wheelchair users

• Wheelchair users get discounts or free tickets in
  several cities (11/17)
• Wheelchair users are offered discounts in four
  cities
• The discounts vary, price about 30/50 of the
  adult fare
• Discounts apply mainly on season tickets
• Wheelchair users are offered free tickets or
  right to travel without a ticket in about nine
  cities (depending on the persons circumstances)
• In some cities this applies only to buses

12
People using walkers

• People using walkers can travel without a ticket
  in some cities (2/17)
• In one city this applies only to buses
• In some cities, people using walkers can get
  discounts etc. if they are mobility impaired

13
Entitlement to a companion

• In some cities (6/17), some special groups are
  entitled to have a companion to travel with them
  for free
• The companion can usually travel without a ticket
  or on a free ticket

14
People traveling with a small child in a pram or
other such

• People traveling with a small child in a pram can
  travel without a ticket in three cities
• In one city this applies only to buses
• In one city people traveling with a small child
  in a pram get a discount

15
Other groups mentioned 1/2

• The unemployed are offered free tickets or right
  to travel without a ticket in some cities (this
  may apply to people of certain age only),
  discounts are offered in some cities
• People of limited means are offered discounts or
  right to travel without a ticket in some cities
• Conscripts are offered discounts in some cities
• Families of a certain size are offered discounts
  or right to travel without a ticket (there may be
  time limits or income limits) in six cities
• Veterans are offered free tickets in three cities
  and discounts in three cities

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Other groups mentioned 2/2

• In addition, some cities offer discounts, free
  tickets or right to travel without a ticket to
  the following groups
• Police
• Fire fighters
• Schoolchildren
• Groups
• Blood donors

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Summary 1/2
18
Summary 2/2