I would like to request the following information on Revenue Protection Officers and data: 1. An annual gold card ticket was confiscated by the Revenue Protection Officer on a London Bus. Which organisation is responsible for communicating to the passenger how the ticket will be returned? 2. What organisation holds onto the confiscated ticket and and who oversees and owns the process of investigating confiscated tickets? 3. Once a ticket is confiscated, what are actions are taken by Revenue Protection Officer at the time of incident ? 4. What information should be supplied to the passenger once ticket is confiscated? 5. A full name, address and date of birth was given to the Revenue Protection Officer, which was written on a note pad. What is the process of retaining and storing personal data? Where is the data stored? 6. What privacy notices are given to passengers by Revenue Protection Officers once personal data is given? 7. Do Revenue Protection Officers receive training on Data Protection ? 8. Once data is collected, what processes are in place to ensure the Revenue Protection Officer complies with Data Protection Act, ensuring personal data written on paper is destroyed? 9. Should the passenger want to submit a complaint about the Revenue Protection Officer, which organisation receives and processes the complaint and what are their contact details?

---

Our Ref:         FOI-1878-1718

Thank you for your request received on 13 October 2017 asking for information about Revenue Protection Officers.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we do hold the information you require. You asked:

1. An annual gold card ticket was confiscated by the Revenue Protection Officer on a London Bus. Which organisation is responsible for communicating to the passenger how the ticket will be returned?

An Annual Gold Card and all tickets issued to the holder are issued subject to the National Rail Conditions of Travel and the conditions listed in the leaflet “Annual Gold Card Terms & Conditions” (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/Annual%20Gold%20Card%20Terms17-18.pdf) and, where appropriate, to the Conditions of Carriage of any other operators on whose services the ticket is valid. Copies of the National Rail Conditions of Carriage are available on their website:

www.nationalrail.co.uk/nrcot

When a customer is travelling on a Transport for London (TfL) operated bus service the customer is also subject to TfL Conditions of Carriage. Tickets are only withdrawn by TfL Revenue Protection Inspectors if they are not valid for travel when inspected e.g. if they are not accompanied by a valid photocard of the authorised user or they have expired etc. or are not being used in accordance with the relevant terms and conditions of issue or Conditions of Carriage applicable. TfL Conditions of Carriage (http://content.tfl.gov.uk/tfl-conditions-of-carriage.pdf) Section 7.1.2 states “You must use your printed ticket(s) in accordance with these Conditions of Carriage. All printed tickets remain our property and we may withdraw or cancel any printed ticket at any time and it may not be returned for further use.”

Withdrawn tickets are not usually returned to a customer and they are requested to apply for a replacement ticket to the issuing office.

2. What organisation holds onto the confiscated ticket and who oversees and owns the process of investigating confiscated tickets?

TfL will hold onto the confiscated ticket if it is withdrawn on TfL Services. Investigations are conducted by TfL Investigations, Appeals & Prosecutions Team, Compliance Policing & On-street Enforcement, Surface Transport, 197 Blackfriars Road London SE1 8NJ. This team may be contacted by emailing [email protected] or if withdrawn on National Rail by the relevant Train Operating Company Revenue/Prosecutions Department.

3. Once a ticket is confiscated, what are actions are taken by Revenue Protection Officer at the time of incident ?

The withdrawn ticket(s) are submitted to the Investigations, Appeals & Prosecutions Team along with a Travel Irregularity Report outlining the full details of the Irregularity.

4. What information should be supplied to the passenger once ticket is confiscated?

The Revenue Protection Inspector will notify the passenger that they are withdrawing the ticket and submitting a report of the Travel Irregularity to TfL Investigations, Appeals & Prosecutions Team. TfL then write to the customer explaining that they have been reported with details of the Irregularity Report and offering them an opportunity to reply providing an explanation or mitigating circumstances etc. Full contact details are provided to enable any communication required by the customer.

5. A full name, address and date of birth was given to the Revenue Protection Officer, which was written on a note pad. What is the process of retaining and storing personal data? Where is the data stored?

The leaf from the note pad is removed and placed in a sealed evidence bag along with the withdrawn ticket and this is then submitted to the Investigations, Appeals & prosecutions team. It is destroyed by shredding once the case is dealt with.

6. What privacy notices are given to passengers by Revenue Protection Officers once personal data is given?

We only issue Privacy Notices when a Penalty Fare Notice is issued as this information is not mandatory in other circumstances.

7. Do Revenue Protection Officers receive training on Data Protection?

Yes, they complete a Data Protection course annually.

8. Once data is collected, what processes are in place to ensure the Revenue Protection Officer complies with Data Protection Act, ensuring personal data written on paper is destroyed?

Please see the above response to Q5. All paper records are destroyed by shredding once the case is closed.

9. Should the passenger want to submit a complaint about the Revenue Protection Officer, which organisation receives and processes the complaint and what are their contact details?

Any such complaint should be made to TfL, full contact details are available on our website:

https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/

Additionally, feedback may be provided online at:

https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/contact-us-about-bus-staff

Complaints relating to the behaviour of Revenue Inspectors are passed to the Operations Line Manager for investigation and action as appropriate and they will respond to the complaint via customer services following their investigation.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please feel free to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Gemma Jacob
FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London

[email protected]

Back to top

---