The Competition & Markets Authority sought stakeholder feedback on the Public Transport Ticketing Schemes Block Exemption.

The Public Transport Ticketing Schemes Block Exemption (‘the PTTSBE’) automatically exempts certain types of agreements establishing public transport ticketing schemes (‘ticketing schemes’) from the Chapter I prohibition insofar as they meet certain conditions set out in the PTTSBE.

It was introduced on the basis that certain ticketing schemes between public transport operators, which may also include local authorities, were likely to meet the four conditions for exemption from the Chapter I prohibition. Broadly, a ‘ticketing scheme’ is a written agreement between public transport operators, allowing for passengers to purchase tickets that can be used on the services of more than one of the participating operators.

UTG's response highlights how its members use the Block Exemption to provide a range of single mode and multiple mode tickets, and that the Block Exemption has been essential in enabling the development and retention of these products.