I wrote to Traveline Scotland recently, pointing out the high cost associated with their 0870 service.

They replied:

Traveline Scotland works as a partnership between Transport Operators, who contribute funds to operate the service day to day, Local Authorities, who provide integrated data to populate our journey planner, and the Scottish Executive, who provide capital and development funding. We are also part of a UK-wide network of 12 Traveline services, all using the 0870 608 2 608 number. This number serves the whole of the UK. Wherever you call from you get put through to the local Traveline service. If using a mobile you choose the appropriate geographical area call centre to be put through to from a list. Traveline Scotland’s average call length is currently just over 100 seconds which means that calls cost less than 12p and the information itself is obviously provided free of charge. We also have a website at www.traveline.org.uk where the same journey planning information is available free of charge. I hope this explains the reason behind the national call rather than local tariff. We believe it represents good value for customers.

Hilary Brown
Quality Manager
Traveline Scotland Ltd
Tel 07736 088 069

It seems they take the legitimate view that the call revenue helps fund the service. But, am I not correct that they should quote the call cost in their advertising?

The timetable enquiries number for the Long Island Railrod, New York, "the nations largest commuter railroad", just as a for instance, is 718-217-5477, which, if you don't know, is a geographic number. I would expect this to be standard practice in the United States. In some cases callers are provided with an 800 number. Why are Traveline calling their 0870 number a "national" rather than "premium" tariff? Why do they require to collect a charge for this service? Why must it be collected on a meter? Why do we tend to accept this practice in this country as "legitimate"? And yes, they should publish the call rate.

My point is that right now, throughout the fifty states of the union, if, as is likely, my example is representative, this same service is being provided to the public gratis as just part of what's involved in straight-up customer service. Why can't it be the same here? "US faces collapse of timetabling enquiry services due to cash crisis". Are headlines like these appearing in US papers? Is the system in danger of collapse? Why is the heart of capitalism itself able to draw back from the brink of this petty "nickling and diming to death" of the travelling public, but our supposedly more socially conscious society cannot?

My feeling is that the whole thing stinks, and I don't think it's legitimate.

http://www.citidex.com/1423.htm

According to OFCOM,

While 0870 telephone numbers are not regulated as premium rate services, they can cost considerably more to call than geographic numbers. Guidance issued by Ofcom and by the Advertising Standards Authority makes it clear that these numbers should not be described as “national rate”.


Full blurb here...
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/obb/prog_cb/pcb49/?a=87101

scroll down to...
The use of premium rate telecommunications services ( PRTS ) in programming

I want to share the following exchange of e-mails  I had with Traveline Scotland and ask for any comments:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wrote:

Your website uses an 0870 number for contact purposes.

No doubt the income you generate from this number offsets the cost of providing the service. However, let me draw your attention to a recent ruling of the Committee on Advertising Practice:

http://www.cap.org.uk/cap/advice_online/ad_alerts/Advertising+0845+and+087+numbe...
http://www.asa.org.uk/cap/news_events/news/2005/hanging+on+the+telephone+on+and+...

As you advertise on bus backs, I assume many of the calls to your number are from mobiles which are charged at a rate of up to 40p/min.

Will you now change your advertising and website to comply with CAP's advice?

They replied:

Dear Mr Farci,

I refer to your e mail above and apologise for the delay in replying. A number of changes are proposed for the use of 0870 numbers and I was waiting for clarification on the UK Traveline position before replying. However, that clarification will not be available until end January and the changes proposed by Offcom will not have effect until January 2008 so best that I comment on the situation now.

Website: Our website travelinescotland.com only gives the number and does not make reference to national rates however the Traveline UK website at Traveline.org.uk does make reference to calls being charged at national rates and I have copied this to Mr. Tony Ferguson, the Traveline Director responsible for that site so he can consider what action is needed.

Cost of 0870 numbers- It is true that a small revenue is generated from 0870 numbers although I need to point out this comes nowhere near the cost of providing the service, in Scotland the rebates from 0870 amount to roughly £40,000 per annum whilst the cost of providing the service is over £500,000 per annum. The balance is funded by Public Transport Operators.

Marketing material: Yes, we will take this advice on board. All of our marketing material was available before this advice was known and I have asked our quality manager to dispose of the small amount we hold in stock. Whatever material exists out in the public domain will be replaced during the first quarter of 2008 in line with the advice.

Bus Backs: Our contract for advertising on bus backs has long since expired and although it is unlikely, any new bus back advertising would follow the advise, meantime we will try and establish if any of the four vehicles which carried this advert still show it and ask that it be removed.

Mobiles etc: It may or may not be the case that different telecom provider charge different rates and we have no control over that, no matter which provider is used the rebate coming to us is based on the BT charge to the customer of app.8ppm peak and reducing at evenings and weekends

Finally can I say that we agree that as far as possible these costs should be transparent and any mention of national rate was made in good faith. It would hardly be sensible to cover a cost of over £500,000 per annum to provide a service for public benefit whilst at the same time not being transparent with regard to £40,000 which derives from 0870 here in Scotland.

I hope this helps clarify our position and thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.   

Kind Regards

John Elliot
Chief Executive
Traveline Scotland
john.elliot2@btopenworld.com
07771 647034

dorf wrote on Dec 30^th, 2006 at 12:12pm:

I've corrected those links so they work now.

canterbury kent please

LeeUK wrote on Feb 18^th, 2007 at 12:13pm:


Thats the one I am after, I have south yorksire, 01709 515151 but any others I am not too sure of, when I go to newcastle I have to call 0870 number...

LeeUK wrote on Feb 18^th, 2007 at 12:13pm:


Letter going today and will include NE as I am ashamed of them introducing 0871 and saying it is because ofcom are changing how the pricing works... thats just going to confuse people, all for a few quid?!?!

anyways, I didnt think to check at the time, but did you know that NE Traveline is already in the DB, it is  0191 2445695

Not tried it but should work