PROPOSAL FOR COMMUTERS’ COMMITTEE
On the understanding that commuter input to the design of the integrated ticketing system is essential, the following model of a committee is proposed for consideration.
Name:
The name will obviously depend on other factors to be discussed later, but it is a good place to start. It would be a three part name (at least), each part indicative of its role. Some suggestions are:
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Who? |
Role? |
Format? |
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Users’ |
Review |
Committee |
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Commuters’ |
Consultative |
Group |
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Public |
Input |
Panel |
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Composition:
Membership would be by invitation, or by application and acceptance only.
Membership would include:
Membership would NOT include
Total numbers to be restricted to about six users and six systems design, plus a secretary.
Frequency:
Meetings should be held monthly or fortnightly, but no less frequently than monthly. Suggest monthly at first and change later if necessary.
Timing:
There may be a particular time of month that would be more appropriate than others – perhaps immediately before or after another systems meeting.
Duration:
Either a morning or an afternoon meeting of two to two-and-a-half hours should be adequate.
Special Meetings:
A procedure should be set up whereby any urgent matter can be discussed between regular meetings. This could be a special meeting, or authorising one of the commuter representatives to make a unilateral decision.
Administrative:
The meeting would be chaired by a representative of - the DoT? - the commuters?
The DoT would provide a non-participating secretary. The secretary would prepare proper minutes that would be distributed to all members as soon as possible after each meeting.
If necessary, a procedure will be arranged whereby commuters can formally input a paper, or a suggestion, into the system.
Proper meeting procedures would apply – apologies, correspondence, matters arising, new business, etc.
Items:
Items raised will be sequentially numbered with a unique number, perhaps based on its start date. In the minutes, items will have "status", "action by whom" and "action by when" tags. An item will continue to appear in minutes until the committee agrees that it can be deleted.
Meetings of Other Committees:
Minutes and relevant papers of other design committees will be available to the Commuter Committee.
A representative of the commuters may request to attend, or may be invited to attend, a meeting of another design committee or of an overall co-ordinating committee.
Role:
The role of the committee would include:
Lines of Responsibility:
It should be made clear where the committee is placed in the system design hierarchy, and to whom the committee can complain at a higher level if there is any dissatisfaction.
Life of the Committee:
The committee will continue in existence until all phases of the system have been designed, tested and implemented and into the post-implementation review period.
Disclosure:
Agreement would have to be reached about what the commuters can and cannot reveal to their members or to the public.
First Meeting:
The first meeting of the committee should be convened during April 2003
The first meeting of the committee should discuss and agree upon administrative matters as outlined above. Also at the first meeting, the design team should give a report on the current status of the project.
Before the First Meeting:
It might be useful if, before the first meeting, copies of specifications and proposals could be made available to the committee for perusal. These need not necessarily be taken out of the office, but could be studied on-site.
Allan Miles
Action for Public Transport (NSW)
PO Box K606
Haymarket NSW 1240
http://www.aptnsw.org.au21st March 2003