Topical question asked in the House of Commons, by Peter Soulsby (Labour). It was answered on Thursday, 18 March 2010 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Topical Questions

Question: In answer to an earlier question, the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Ipswich (Chris Mole), spoke about the improved information for passengers about the best fares that are available to them. Does he not agree, however, that providing the best possible fare ought to be an absolute obligation on train operating companies and a condition of their franchise, in order to ensure that passengers always get the best and lowest fare available?

Answer: We continue to work seamlessly with Passenger Focus on that issue so that we can improve the information available to passengers, to ensure that they get the best possible fare. On the specific point about whether it is possible to include such provision as a franchise requirement, perhaps my hon. Friend would like to respond to our current consultation on future franchising.

Secondary information