Andrew_S_Hatton wrote on Mar 31
st, 2010 at 7:00pm:
Because of the high need to call Public Transport enquiry numbers like Traveline whilst on the move, they should all over a geographical number in their listings and this needs Government regulation.
This may have been discussed before although I am not aware of the current status of my concern here or with OFCOM or whoever the regulator is now.
Another well made point - you are well on the road to "expert" status in the forum. Please do not be put off when senior members add comments. THe forum is for us all to raise issues and to exchange views and information.
Most would agree that numbers for Public Transport information should not involve any premium charge. Those who would otherwise have to pick up the cost of whatever telephone network features are used might disagree. This was
recently discussed with reference to Transport for London.
(On a point mentioned elsewhere I recently enquired of TfL about local overground train services between South Acton and West Hampstead. After a journey time of over 4 hours had been suggested for about 6 stops, the local agent and I had to laugh at his mistaken assumption that my start point was a major south coast port. We were both Londoners; the telephone is no respecter of location, as the root of the first part of the word implies.)
Where a number covers a wide geographic area, or the readily available flashy features are required, there could be a case for using a non-geographic number. The 03 range is there to provide exactly this facility, without any premium charge.
Central government does not fund these services, but would undoubtedly be asked to do so if it started meddling in points of detail about how they are operated. Local government is however often involved.
Ofcom has no role in telling people which facilities they should use. It may however be addressing the issue of the level of premiums charged on calls to non-geographic numbers in a consultation that may be launched in the next few months. BT alone is currently subject to regulation. Ofcom recognises that it can no longer apply this unfair constraint on BT, however it now has greater powers to limit all providers than it had previously.
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Public Transport and Mobile phones. (Read 6,380 times)
