de paper: C&AG attacks management for integrated ticketing ‘fiasco’

Colm Donoghue · 06-10-2006, 11:41

C&AG attacks management for integrated ticketing ‘fiasco’

By Shaun Connolly, Political Correspondent
THE State’s financial watchdog yesterday delivered a scathing verdict on the management of an integrated ticketing project for Dublin transport services which has swallowed over €9 million and delivered nothing.

Comptroller and Auditor General John Purcell said “heads should have been knocked together” early on in the project to stop it sliding so far behind schedule and over budget.

Costings for the Dublin system have spiralled from €29m to €42m and the scheme, which should have been launched in 2005, is three years behind schedule.

“By the end of 2005 €9.5m had been spent on the project without satisfactory progress being made.

“This was at least partly attributable to the way in which the project was being managed.

“Looking at the slow progress to date it is clear that governance of the project left a lot to be desired.

“In my opinion earlier positive action by way of knocking heads together might have helped put the project on a proper footing sooner and avoided at least some of the sum costs,” Mr Purcell told the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) was tasked with organising the ticketing scheme in 2002 and was overseen by the Transport Department. Mr Purcell added the scheme had been dogged by confusion over role of the RPA and that “underlying tensions” between the authority and Dublin Bus did not help.

Green TD and PAC member Dan Boyle said Transport Minister Martin Cullen should accept responsibility for the “fiasco”.

“We have spent millions and millions and got nothing. Mr Cullen seems to have a Midas touch in reverse when it comes to this sort of project,” he said.

Mr Purcell added much of the delays had to do with the failure to decide on the future direction of the Dublin transport market.

The C&AG had earlier revealed that the CIÉ group of Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann was threatened with having its funding withheld because of its “perceived lack of commitment to the project”.

Transport Department officials said a close eye had been kept on the project and CIÉ had been written to in December 2005 warning that its performance was being closely monitored.

TomB · 06-10-2006, 12:54

Hooray for the C&AG.

And I think the blame game doesn't help anyone. The buck for this really has to stop with the Department of Transport and the relevant Minister: if there was a problem between the RPA and DB/IE/BE -- it was up to the DoT to step in.

What really really annoys me is that public transport already has too low a priority in politics, and wastages like this will improve nobody's appetite for continued public transport investment.

Nobody comes out looking good out of this, but Ministers O'Rourke, Brennan and Cullen deserve special mention for overseeing such a mess. Alas, I've no hope that with a change of government that things would be any better -- witness the relative silence on the opposition benches since 2002. Sure, Olivia Mitchell came out a few times and asked why wasn't it implemented yet, but nobody in her office bothered to carry out some basic research into the issue.

Despite the RPA's finger-pointing, they really do have to take a lot of blame for this issue too. The tendering process was totally fecked up, ending in everyone pulling out.

Why oh why they couldn't have
1. Agreed revenue-sharing rules between existing providers, which would also apply to new entrants
2. Tart up the existing (identical) luas and rail ticket machines to offer cross-network tickets
3. Agree specs for a smart card system, based on existing standards that multiple operators could provide

They brought out a trial on Morton's Coaches, then did a system for the Luas. Now you'd think they'd make the two compatible, right? Nope. Pointless whinging about people not playing fair when you don't have your own house in order.

Mind you, given the daily inability for Irish Rail planning staff to be customer-focused, it wouldn't at all surprise me if at least some of the foot-dragging accusations against IE were true.

I have a bit of sympathy for both the CIE companies and the RPA however, in the sense that they both have had muppets for bosses for a very long time.

Colm Donoghue · 06-10-2006, 13:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomas Bibby

Hooray for the C&AG.

They brought out a trial on Morton's Coaches, then did a system for the Luas. Now you'd think they'd make the two compatible, right? Nope. Pointless whinging about people not playing fair when you don't have your own house in order.

Tell me this isn't so....

Thank God for the euro's... although I heard you can only pay using coins with harps on them....

Mark Hennessy · 06-10-2006, 14:22

Oh Dublin Bus are rolling out their completely imcompatible ( even with IE(?) ) smart card in a few weeks.
Great little scenario we will have smart cards for every mode of transport and every operator, now if only we had smart people to co-ordinate all of these

markpb · 06-10-2006, 14:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by markh

Oh Dublin Bus are rolling out their completely imcompatible ( even with IE(?) ) smart card in a few weeks.

Will the ticket machines start getting their current stage from GPS before that comes in? Given the amount of times the drivers have the stage set wrong (Clontarf Road is oddly enough, not outside DCU) I can't see tap-on, tap-off ticekting working. Unless they're only going to port daily, weekly and monthly tickets to smartcard?

Derek Wheeler · 06-10-2006, 20:22

First and foremost, many of us were uncomfortable with the idea of integrated ticketing being placed in the hands of the RPA and Id say the RPA themselves, were a little taken aback. The concept of integrated ticketing that so obviously has to include buses, doesn't really fit well with an organisation thats called the RAIL procurement agency. Blame for all this lies at the door of the current administration. In my opinion, the RPA was a "quick fix" solution to take the Luas project out of CIE hands, based on an extremely poor industrial relations culture within CIE. Our rather, inept, politicians obviously thought it was an opportunity to land both metro and integrated ticketing onto the laps of its new creation. Whatever about metro, the ticketing bit was very very misguided. Personally, I believe that the Government should have finally delivered on the Dublin Transport Authority, instead of the RPA. Its incredible ineptitude. When the DTA arrives (if ever as it was first proposed in the early 1980s) you'll have to wonder whats the point of the RPA or an "R n D" dept. in IE. Its all so simple. The only people who don't get it are the politicians, which is why the revolving transport mess will continue.The sad part is, they don't listen to P11....yet. But thats another story.

06-10-2006, 11:41	#1
Colm Donoghue Really Regular Poster Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 873	de paper: C&AG attacks management for integrated ticketing ‘fiasco’ C&AG attacks management for integrated ticketing ‘fiasco’ By Shaun Connolly, Political Correspondent THE State’s financial watchdog yesterday delivered a scathing verdict on the management of an integrated ticketing project for Dublin transport services which has swallowed over €9 million and delivered nothing. Comptroller and Auditor General John Purcell said “heads should have been knocked together” early on in the project to stop it sliding so far behind schedule and over budget. Costings for the Dublin system have spiralled from €29m to €42m and the scheme, which should have been launched in 2005, is three years behind schedule. “By the end of 2005 €9.5m had been spent on the project without satisfactory progress being made. “This was at least partly attributable to the way in which the project was being managed. “Looking at the slow progress to date it is clear that governance of the project left a lot to be desired. “In my opinion earlier positive action by way of knocking heads together might have helped put the project on a proper footing sooner and avoided at least some of the sum costs,” Mr Purcell told the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) was tasked with organising the ticketing scheme in 2002 and was overseen by the Transport Department. Mr Purcell added the scheme had been dogged by confusion over role of the RPA and that “underlying tensions” between the authority and Dublin Bus did not help. Green TD and PAC member Dan Boyle said Transport Minister Martin Cullen should accept responsibility for the “fiasco”. “We have spent millions and millions and got nothing. Mr Cullen seems to have a Midas touch in reverse when it comes to this sort of project,” he said. Mr Purcell added much of the delays had to do with the failure to decide on the future direction of the Dublin transport market. The C&AG had earlier revealed that the CIÉ group of Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann was threatened with having its funding withheld because of its “perceived lack of commitment to the project”. Transport Department officials said a close eye had been kept on the project and CIÉ had been written to in December 2005 warning that its performance was being closely monitored.

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06-10-2006, 12:54	#2
TomB Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Limerick Posts: 207	Hooray for the C&AG. And I think the blame game doesn't help anyone. The buck for this really has to stop with the Department of Transport and the relevant Minister: if there was a problem between the RPA and DB/IE/BE -- it was up to the DoT to step in. What really really annoys me is that public transport already has too low a priority in politics, and wastages like this will improve nobody's appetite for continued public transport investment. Nobody comes out looking good out of this, but Ministers O'Rourke, Brennan and Cullen deserve special mention for overseeing such a mess. Alas, I've no hope that with a change of government that things would be any better -- witness the relative silence on the opposition benches since 2002. Sure, Olivia Mitchell came out a few times and asked why wasn't it implemented yet, but nobody in her office bothered to carry out some basic research into the issue. Despite the RPA's finger-pointing, they really do have to take a lot of blame for this issue too. The tendering process was totally fecked up, ending in everyone pulling out. Why oh why they couldn't have 1. Agreed revenue-sharing rules between existing providers, which would also apply to new entrants 2. Tart up the existing (identical) luas and rail ticket machines to offer cross-network tickets 3. Agree specs for a smart card system, based on existing standards that multiple operators could provide They brought out a trial on Morton's Coaches, then did a system for the Luas. Now you'd think they'd make the two compatible, right? Nope. Pointless whinging about people not playing fair when you don't have your own house in order. Mind you, given the daily inability for Irish Rail planning staff to be customer-focused, it wouldn't at all surprise me if at least some of the foot-dragging accusations against IE were true. I have a bit of sympathy for both the CIE companies and the RPA however, in the sense that they both have had muppets for bosses for a very long time.

06-10-2006, 14:22	#4
Mark Hennessy Membership Officer Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Maynooth Posts: 1,116	Oh Dublin Bus are rolling out their completely imcompatible ( even with IE(?) ) smart card in a few weeks. Great little scenario we will have smart cards for every mode of transport and every operator, now if only we had smart people to co-ordinate all of these

06-10-2006, 20:22	#6
Derek Wheeler Registered user Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Kildare Posts: 1,555	First and foremost, many of us were uncomfortable with the idea of integrated ticketing being placed in the hands of the RPA and Id say the RPA themselves, were a little taken aback. The concept of integrated ticketing that so obviously has to include buses, doesn't really fit well with an organisation thats called the RAIL procurement agency. Blame for all this lies at the door of the current administration. In my opinion, the RPA was a "quick fix" solution to take the Luas project out of CIE hands, based on an extremely poor industrial relations culture within CIE. Our rather, inept, politicians obviously thought it was an opportunity to land both metro and integrated ticketing onto the laps of its new creation. Whatever about metro, the ticketing bit was very very misguided. Personally, I believe that the Government should have finally delivered on the Dublin Transport Authority, instead of the RPA. Its incredible ineptitude. When the DTA arrives (if ever as it was first proposed in the early 1980s) you'll have to wonder whats the point of the RPA or an "R n D" dept. in IE. Its all so simple. The only people who don't get it are the politicians, which is why the revolving transport mess will continue.The sad part is, they don't listen to P11....yet. But thats another story.