Identification of correct fare to be paid
Establishing the price is a basic component of any purchase or transaction. The identification of the correct fare to be paid before the ticket purchase:
- provides confidence to the passenger that he can afford to pay for his journey;
- provides reassurance to the passenger that the price being charged is correct;
- enables the passenger to make decisions about travel choice between services where there is competition in the market;
- acts to speed boarding where there is payment on entry to the vehicle;
- removes any excuse for over-riding on the fare paid; and
- avoids potential disputes between passenger and operator.
Furthermore, the information given to identify the correct fare needs to be:
- intelligible to passengers;
- comprehensive in coverage of the fare products;
- accurate and up-to-date; and
- easy to read and understand.
The manner and location in which the correct fare can be identified varies widely in international application. The following practices have been identified:
- Information at terminal or stop
- Information on the vehicle
- Information remote from the service
- Demand-responsive transport