After the recent company letter announcing the axing of multiple Revenue Managers jobs Revenue Control Inspectors ( RCI's) are quite concerned. Three Centurian Managers (BCV,JNP,SSR) were merged into one Revenue Control Manager for the entire London Underground. Sixteen Duty Revenue Control Managers (DRCM's) are currently been reduced to nine to cover the whole network.The admin staff are being reduced to just three. Local staff reps requested Functional Council to obtain some answers.

At the recent Stations and Revenue Council Meeting on 18/06/08 London Underground management informed staff side representatives that it had no plans to merge Revenue Functions across TFL. A summary is shown at Stations and Revenue Council Meeting.

The existing full policy refering to TFL Revenue Inspectors is readable at TFL Revenue Policy website.

Management seem to be unaware of the recent discussions and proposals at the recent sitting of the UK Parliament Transport Select Committee. A meeting that TFL attended and gave evidence. Much of what was discussed included The benefits of Oyster versus the National Rail smart card scheme (ITSO). They also discussed Revenue Protection on all Rail companies and on London Buses. All new Freedom Passes and other UK local authority Cards will be issued as ITSO Cards. ITSO is short for Intergrated Ticketing and Smart card Organisation. ITSO cards are the new National Rail smartcards under development with the Department for Transport. Much of the recent work by The Transport Select Commitee is readable on the links below.
Transport Select Commitee Fourth Special Report
Transport Select Commitee Report
Transport Select Commitee Report
Transport Select Commitee Report

LUL managers appear not to have yet read or noted the paragraphs reproduced below.

Revenue protection and the powers of ticket inspectors

8. Revenue protection does not get the attention that it warrants: a bigger and more sophisticated effort is needed. The extent of the problem is poorly understood. It ranges from passengers willing but unable to pay their fares through to deliberate fare evasion. Fare-dodging is often associated with other antisocial behaviour and efforts to curb one are likely to impact positively on the other. More regular and coordinated research and monitoring of the problem are required. Leaving it to individual companies who are likely to be averse to sharing or publishing information means that no one has a clear picture and revenue protection measures are likely to be inadequate. (Paragraph 55)

10. An integrated ticketing system should be backed by an integrated revenue protection system. Whilst the current regulations for rail are generally satisfactory, those for buses are not. The powers of bus revenue protection staff should be strengthened. In the longer term, the Government should move towards a unified system of public transport revenue protection. The implications of new ticket types and technologies will also need to be considered. (Paragraph 66)

It would appear in the future the Department for Transport will want Revenue Control (on London Underground) and Revenue Protection( on London Buses and National Rail) to become a new unified National Organistaion.There are many organisations which could take ownership of a new National Revenue function. These include the Department for Transport,Office of the Rail Regulator, British Transport Police,Network Rail, or Transport for London .Please note that 70% of UK rail journeys start or finish in London. Of course they could as well set up a new national structure. This strategy appears to as yet be undecided.

A major conference discussing the future development of Transport Smartcards takes place in September
of this year. Many organistations are taking part and as yet TFL are not yet listed. Details are shown by clicking on Smartcard Conference

The Train Operating Companies and Transport for London already have regular Revenue Strategy meetings. We await future clarification on what the way forward for Revenue will really be.