Suggestions for Tyne Tunnel Improvements to assist motorist and the company.
Here are some proactive and positive suggestions that TT2 could implement to make improvements to their systems and customer's journey. With apologies for the formatting! These have been received from motorists in January 2022.
We'll edit the list as new ones drop in and we get closure on others - and will constructively feed this back to NECA.
APPEALS THEME:
TT001: [COMPLETE - Staff training in place] Contact centre tell customers that "there's no point appealing about poor signage as we decline them". Fairly sure that this is inconsistent with a fair and independent appeals process overseen by a Local Authority? "Fettering Discretion"
Review the appeals process and produce clear guidance that is publicly available on what the policies of TT2 Limited are in relation to the UTCN enforcement procedures. Ensure that each individual case is considered carefully, procedurally correctly and with sensitivity.
TT002: Scrap the current late payment system and replace with a more ethical structure. An average user of the Tyne Tunnel may come from working class backgrounds or may be suffering from hardship due to the current economic climate.
Mersey and Dart are often used as "poster boys" for best practise. Yet have very different enforcement regimes to TT2.
Mersey has had significant criticism from independent reviewers about their processes. The same report praised aspects of Dart's system. Humber Bridge has much lower prices in their penalty system. Scrutiny must be made on the appeals and enforcement actions of TT2 as a private company operating this infrastructure on behalf of local authorities. For clarity this campaign supports the payment of toll due for passage and supports a robust enforcement scheme, so long as both are performed legally, morally and fairly with consumers having clear rights of representation including an independent appeal mechanism once internal avenues have been exhausted.
[UPDATE] Customer charter under development in conjunction with Transport North East and Consumer Groups including this one which will make clearer the correct expectation for both the Motorist and TT2. This is a significant piece of work nearing completion June 2023.
TT003A: [COMPLETE - NEW PROCESS IN PLACE] No option to appeal a paid UTCN for non lease car / normal users. Case needs to be "re-opened".
3B: [COMPLETE - NEW WORDING IN PLACE] Users get confused and scared by the Final Demand which comes in the post during the appeal process and pay thinking their appeal is declined. This shuts the case and appeal not examined. .
3C: [COMPLETE - NEW WORDING IN PLACE] Wording needs to be made clearer on the acknowledgment email of next steps and options available to the appellant. Wording on 'Final Demand' and other letters needs to explain the appeals mechanism in more granularity. Motorists must not be coerced into paying something without their appeal being listened to in a fair manner.
TT004: [COMPLETE - Most are now dealt within this time period] Appeals receipt says a response will be provided within 10 working days.
TT005: [COMPLETE - NEW WORDING IN PLACE] Publish the appeal handling service level agreed with NECA and what standard of response performance is being achieved?
TT006: [REJECTED - HOWEVER REVIEWS OF COHORTS OF UTCNS TAKEN PLACE] Cancel all UTCN's which have been issued since the start of the transition period where a customer has made an appeal for all reasons except "simply forgot to pay" and many days have passed before customer made contact. Retrospectively credit those peoples accounts or write to them again to issue a refund.
TT007: [COMPLETE - NEW WORDING IN PLACE] Only 1000 characters allowed in appeal box. Limited to one 'appeal reason' These seem at odds with allowing motorists to make a fair and full representation against their UTCN being issued and should be reversed immediately.
TT008: [COMPLETE] Publish full details on TT2's website about the legal acts / regulations which the tunnel must comply with to issue enforcement action and what must be in place for tunnel operator to collect tolls on authority's behalf. Currently no published details about the legal acts / regulations which the tunnel must comply with to issue enforcement action and what must be in place for tunnel operator to collect tolls on authority's behalf. This should be posted on TNE / NECA / TT2's websites.
PRE-PAID ACCOUNT THEME:
PP001: [TT2 STATE NOW RESOLVED] Pre-paid users - not receiving email saying low balance. [TT2 STATE NOW RESOLVED]
PP002: [TT2 STATE NOW RESOLVED]Pre-paid users - auto top up not working [TT2 STATE NOW RESOLVED]
PP003: [TT2 STATE NOW RESOLVED]Pre-paid users - account access blocked due to TT2 messing up the usernames, remove case sensitive from user name field.
PP004: [COMPLETE - CAN SEE ACCOUNT BALANCE PENDING JOURNEYS] Pre-paid -can't check balances at end of day if journey's are not showing immediately.
PP005: [COMPLETE - WEB / APP UPDATED] Pre-paid - transactions can bear no relation to times of transits, so impossible to monitor usage etc
PP006: [TT2 STATE NOW RESOLVED]Pre-paid - deduction made in error by TT2 [even for other cars!] - clears balance
PP007: TT2 deny receiving payments from users banks, and continue to do so despite users providing bank transaction records.
PP008: [COMPLETE] TT2 insisting people did not set 'auto top up' when people clearly did. More support needed to get the account right for the future. If the person has bothered to create an account and upload a reg but the auto top up didn't register or the other way around, it's clearly not a deliberate attempt to avoid payment.
PP009: COMPLETE £10 Minimum auto - top up a barrier to people signing up [DUE TO BE REDUCED TO £5]
PP010: ]NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT COST - £5 MIN TOP UP IN PLACE] Auto- Top up: Can the user please be able to select 'pay by journey' automatically, at 23:59 the system will auto charge debit card for any journey's made that day.
PP011: [COMPLETE - WORKED THROUGH SYSTEM] Pre-paid users: mistyping of ones and zeros in reg plates by staff to cope with the old ANPR now causing UTCN and appeal declines.
PP012: [UPDATED / COMPLETE] Pre-paid users: mistyping of spaces in reg plates by staff or customer. It's hardly deliberate? Make field entry allow / disallow.
PP013: [COMPLETE ]App still not stable.
PP014: [COMPLETE / Human error will always exist, but improved processes in place] Pre-paid users: journeys of unrelated cars appearing in accounts due to staff mistyping / ANPR inaccuracies.
PP015: [COMPLETE / ISSUES RESOLVED] Car details vanishing off accounts, double accounts being made by tt2 on migration and splitting details causing payments not to be made even when account in credit. Advisors unsure of the process to rectify this on the call. Users told to "just appeal" appeal then gets declined.
PP016: [CLOSED]"My pre paid account keeps going down because its picking up someone else's car registration. I have to keep phoning them up to have my money put back on"
PP017: [CLOSED] Prepaid accounts not being debited for journeys, then send out UTCN claiming no vehicle is attached to account, despite vehicle being added from day one.
PAY-LATER ACCOUNT THEME:
PL001: Telephone payment - doesn't recognise voices, accents, etc.
PL002: Humber Pay Later journeys appear on the system from 1300 the following day and are available to pay for 72 hours. At Tyne Tunnel the registrations often need checking and there is a delay to the system showing the journey. Humber seem to have cracked this by making them available after 1300 next day and not penalising immediately. Dart offer a similar '1st Offence' scheme.
PL003: PayPoint: Investigate receipt of payment transaction "cleared funds" which may be after the customer has paid at pay point. Pay point - people pay within timescale, and still get UTCN [Pay point/TT2 interface issue] Appeals staff often decline the appeal.
PL004: TT2 deny receiving payments from users banks, and continue to do so despite users providing bank transaction records.
PL005: Potential issue being reported needs more evidence... Customer tries to post pay within time scale. No journey logged. When journey is finally logged it is out of time and triggers UTCN. Is this review delay, customer error, website error, payment error, process error - need more examples?
PL006: [TT2 / NECA COMMISSIONED STUDY SHOWED INCREASING TIME WINDOW INCREASES 'NON-COMPLIANCE RATE' SO MAINTAINING AT
BY MIDMIGHT TOMORROW' AS PER THE TUNNEL LEGISLATION. 96% + USERS DO PAY WITHIN THIS WINDOW. Feedback that TT2's 24-hour payment window is unjustifiably short (especially for 'first-time offenders'). (By midnight tommorrow)
PL007: Automated phone payment line does not recognise certain letters . User reports "I have an email from TT2 stating they have thoroughly checked their systems and no issue found that would prevent payment , however I have a recording of automated line that clearly highlights issue I have mentioned."
EXEMPT USER ACCOUNT THEME:
BB001: [ COMPLETE / REVISED PROCESS NOW IN PLACE] Blue Badge holders - massive delays in adding to database, so use 'inspection lane', agent takes VRN and waves through - unlawful UTCNS issued.
BB002: ] RESOLVED] Blue Badge exemption not migrated across in all cases. Feedback that people still waiting long periods for Blue Badge account approval.
BB003: [ RESOLVED / NOW BAU] Having to delete vehicle from prepaid account in order to carry an exempt passenger (blue badge) and get toll free by visiting exemption lane.
BB004: RESOLVED] Review the blue badge exemption process end to end now a period of settling is complete to check it actually does what it is supposed to and that exempt users are not unfairly disadvantaged by process flaws.
SIGNAGE ADEQUACY THEME:
SN001: Signage - inadequate {Has improved, temporary signs in place until end of July 2023 why not install new signs sooner?]
SN002: Signage - unlit / poorly lit so it's essentially useless 16hrs a day.
SN003: [RESOLVED] Cones: distracting and dangerous. Trunk road roadworks usually use more substantial and semi-permanent barriers. Evidence of poor planning and incompetence. Could use solid lane barriers like motorway roadworks especially on approach / depart from North side plaza.
SN004: [RESOLVED] Cones: unsuitable in stormy winter conditions. Storm Arwen is the evidence.
SN005: Temporary signage: unsuitable in stormy winter conditions. Storm Arwen is the evidence.
COMMS AND ENGAGEMENT THEME:
COM001: [IMPROVED] Communications - TT2 [and NECA] continue to victim blame [how many of the above faults are the users fault??]
COM002: [IMPROVED] Call backs from Managers don’t take place, they provide a 5 day timescale, they don’t deliver on their actions to customers. Set up call log tracker to monitor call back performance.
COM003: [IMPRPOVED] Communications: recent public statements don't match the reality of short deadlines, fines, debt collectors, customer service errors, poor web service, poor or non-existent app service. This is evidence of poor and unsuitable management.
COM004: [IMPROVED] Complaint log number process needs investigating. Are TT2 responding to customer complaints following an agreed protocol? Where is the published complaints procedure on TT2's website which provides details of making an independent complaint once complaint stages one and two have been exhausted with TT2?
POLICY OF OPERATION THEME:
P001: [PREPAID HAVE DISCOUNT - MOST PREPAID ARE LOCAL / REGULAR USERS] Dart and Mersey both offer Local Resident Discounted Travel Incentives. Why doesn't TT2 offer this?
P002: [CUSTOMER CAN NOW GET A REFUND / RESOLVED] Credit added to a prepaid account only lasts 12 months (correct if wrong) before being reset to zero. Why should TT2 keep this? Why don't they refund it to the consumer? On what moral grounds are they keeping this money and where is this shown in the byelaws?
P003: Variations of time! Car clock said midnight, fine said 23:58 -- Display a digital clock at the entrance to the Tunnel would solve this! Make clear what the exact journey 'trigger' time is. Entrance to Tunnel? Exit from Tunnel? Exit from Plaza Area? Depending on this depends on when users attempt to pay but they don't know what your rules are.
P004: The technical issues situation is impacting vehicle leaseholders financially and with stress; due to the faults these account holders have not had any opportunity to act, review, pay and or appeal. (Reports received of lease car users being deducted £100's of pounds from their account without any warning causing significant cash flow issues to them, even though issue was not the fault of the motorist)
DIGITAL APP AND DIGITAL OR TELEPHONE PAYMENT THEME:
DIG001: Online payment systems don’t appear to accept certain debit cards. I tried paying with my main VISA debit card and it wouldn’t process a payment after trying multiple times, so had to use an alternative card and the payment then went through on a credit card. I checked with my bank and there was nothing their end blocking the debit card payment. Similar situation declined my card repeatedly, didn't have an alternative card to use , payment eventually went through on the original card 2 days later so fined.
DIG002: Telephone payments - they claim to be unable to locate payments. The customer service agents don’t have access to this which delays appeals etc. Regular feedback that automate phone payment system does not allocate the payment correctly. Withdraw service until it is resolved?
DIG003: Show the journey time not the added time in the journey list.
DIG004: [IMPROVED] My journey history is still missing from my online account despite receiving 2 emails it would be put right within 2 days. That was 2 months ago. The online account site also requires repeated log in attempts in order to access details. Quite often I'll log on and no details will be available until I log out and back in again. It took 5 hours to add the last journey through the tunnel to my account, when I rang up to advise they told me to check again tomorrow and that details should appear within an hour, but they often don't.