MEPs of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport (TRAN) debated the deployment of multimodal ticketing for smarter travel in the EU on Wednesday 15 June, following a hearing of transport stakeholders (see EUROPE 12953/14).
While MEPs encouraged the development of multi-modal ticketing services in their speeches, some MEPs expressed concerns about implementation.
“If there is only one actor when travelling within the same country, with the multimodal and cross-border issue, it is not the same. Perhaps we could ensure that operators are obliged to provide tickets even if they are linked to other operators so that the consumer has the full range”, said Jakop Dalunde (Greens/EFA, Sweden).
For other MEPs, the issue of multi-modal ticketing also raises the question of information provision between different operators.
“What about the lowest common denominator?”, asked Andor Deli (NI, Hungary). “If you have to provide a ticket, you need to know what the timetable is for each operator, for each mode. We have to start somewhere and define a minimum”, he added.
In addition to these aspects, several MEPs mentioned the workers’ rights issues that multimodal ticketing services will involve.
Finally, other members of the TRAN Committee stressed the future role of the European Commission in the development of such services.
“This system could be a good lever, but it will require the will of the European Commission, otherwise the internal market will remain fragmented”, concluded Elena Koundourá (The Left, Greece). (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)