traveline telephone enquiries

The Traveline number is:

0871 200 22 33

Calls cost 10p per minutes plus any charges your network provider makes.
All the Traveline call centres open 0800-2000 (1000-1800 on Sundays). Some call centres are open longer hours. Opening times and power codes for each call centre.

Download Graphics to promote the new number.

Callers to the former 0870 number get a message advising them to phone the new number. The minicom service no longer operates as Traveline can be used by users of Text Relay.

Cost of Calls

Services like Magenta systems publish impartial UK Telecom Tariff Cost Comparisons. The Traveline service is in the 0871 200 call cost range which is listed as "Premium 10p/min (p9)" or sometimes called "Premium Rate 9".

Most telephone suppliers recharge calls in this range at 10p and it is a constant charge throughout the day. However call set up charges vary and whether calls are rounded up to the minute has to be taken into account. The following illustrates the kind of variations found (27/08/2009) on the providers' websites or Magenta.co.uk and therefore the difficulty of correctly advising those who will use the service:

Provider	Per minute	Call Set up charge	Minimum cost	90sec call
BT residential landline	9.79p	8p	rounded to minute	28p
BT payphone	100p	0p	rounded to 10p	150p
Sky	10p	8p	rounded to minute	28p
Tesco	9.79p	6.9p	rounded to minute	27p
Kingston Communications	9.79p	3p		18p
Pipex Homecall	17.62p	8p	rounded to minute	44p
Phone Coop	9.79p	0p		15p
Virgin Media	14.79p	9.79p	rounded to minute	40p

PhonepayPlus, the phone-paid services regulator is the organisation which has responsibility for the day to day regulation of 0871 telephone numbers.

The new PhonepayPlus code of conduct, which comes into effect 1 September 2011, includes the following requirements which Traveline is considering:

2.2.1 make available all information that is likely to influence the decision to use the Traveline phone and text services.
2.2.4 publicise the hours of operation of the service proximate to the phone number.
2.4.2 if phoning users back have evidence that the user has consented to this.
2.6.1 complaints and redress must be resolved quickly, easily and fairly.
2.6.2 the non premium rate number for complaints about the service must be effectively publicised.
2.6.5 Provide consumers with the PhonePayPlus contact details.
2.6.6 Traveline to keep info that allows PPP to examine how we have handled any consumer complaint
3.1.5 Traveline should ensure that providers or individuals barred by PPP are not involved in providing the service.
3.6.1 Traveline's Data Protection needs to quote PPP and we need to warn consumers that their details may be passed to PPP.

A PhonepayPlus news alert refers to research which highlights significant consumer concerns around price transparency and the time some consumers are having to wait on the line before being connected to a service. Providers now have to comply with rules that ensure that the price of the call is made clear and that, if there is to be a delay, the consumer should be able to make an informed decision as to whether to stay on the line.

Information about the cost of calls

The clearest wording comes from an exercise carried out by the ATCO Information and Ticketing group in the North West:
"10p per minute plus any charges your network provider makes"

If the context requires it "Calls cost..." can be added:
"Calls cost 10p per minute plus any charges your network provider makes"

These statements rely on separating out the core charge of 10p per minute which applies to all providers, from any decision the network provider makes on what rate to charge it out to the user or what additional charges to levy.

When do you need to display charges?

It is the policy of Traveline to display information about the cost of calls where it is reasonable to do so, because

it is good that users are told the cost of calls is not excessive
an indication of charges will reassure users
public transport users include people on low incomes
users may be able to obtain information from the internet at less cost to themselves and to Traveline

It is better not to put charging information on a bus stop flag, a real time system display or on the exterior of a vehicle.

ASA/CAP have advised that they do not consider a bus stop flag to be advertising (advised from Rupa Pattni to Tony Ferguson on 15 May 2007). Graphics are available that can be used to display the Traveline telephone number on bus flags.

OFCOM advise (Clive Hillier to Tony Ferguson, 15 May 2007) "that it would be reasonable for Traveline to quote the pricing information on the bus stop timetable and only the telephone number on the bus stop flag, given that the print would be too small to read on the flag."

Press releases concerning the telephone service

Please note that some of the details in these press released do not now fully conform to the current PPP guidance.