Rail complaints double in a year
Ombudsman says delay compensation rules should be improved and better information provided during strikes
THE SNCF has been told to improve its compensation policy for delayed trains and provide better information on strike disruption, after the number of passengers complaining to the French rail ombudsman doubled in a year.
The ombudsman, Bernard Cieutat, received 3,730 complaints last year from passengers - on top of the 1.5 million complaints handled by the SNCF itself in 2010.
Strikes, snow disruption and cable thefts led to increasing complaints about compensation for delayed trains, which made up about two thirds of the cases handled. The other third related to fines that passengers believed were not fair.
Among the recommendations in Mr Cieutat's annual report is that the rules on delay compensation should be standardised across the rail network. He said passengers could not understand why they are eligible for money back if a TGV is more than half an hour late, but not a local TER on the same route.
He also called for better information on passengers' rights in the event of a strike. The ombudsman found that many passengers were not aware that their ticket is valid on alternative services if their train is cancelled. Instead, they bought new reservations and were unable to claim a refund on the original ticket.
2010 was the first year that people have been able to write to the SNCF ombudsman directly, instead of having to go via a passenger association. From September, they will be able to file complaints online using a new website.
Meanwhile, Le Parisien has claimed that SNCF conductors are being offered bonuses of up to €700 a month and fast-track promotions based on the number of fines they issue.
A leaked memo seen by the paper encourages them to issue at least four fines a day, and that at least 40% of the fines issued should be paid on the spot.
The Sud-Rail union said the target would lead to conflicts with passengers. They said the conductor's job was not just to make money: they are equally responsible for providing information and ensuring passenger safety.
The SNCF says every element of a conductor's work is reviewed for quality of service purposes, but there is no individual target for fines. The group says it is committed to tackling fraud, which costs the system €350m a year.
