As new legislation comes in to make it easier for train passengers to claim for delays, the team finds out how commuters in Wales feel about the rail service. Plus.
Halloween is just around the corner, but how safe is your child's costume this year? Rachel Treadaway-Williams enlists the help of Mid and West Wales Fire Service to put some spooky outfits from leading retailers to the test. Lucy Owen's riding the rails, finding out how train passengers in Wales feel about the service they're getting and asking whether a new change in the law could make a difference. Plus Omar Hamdi investigates parking problems in a South Wales motorway service station, where a lack of signage led to a hefty charge for two disabled drivers.
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Train compensation
With almost 1,500 miles of track and 30 million passenger journeys every year, people all over Wales rely on trains and Arriva Trains Wales is the largest – with 128 trains, covering 247 stations, but it has been ranked as the worst train operator in the UK for delays in a recent Which? survey.
Until now, train travel wasn’t covered by Consumer Rights legislation but earlier this month, that changed and passengers can now expect the same protection they’d get when they buy other goods or services, which means compensation when things aren’t up to scratch.Ìý
The Consumer Rights Act 2015
REASONABLE CARE AND SKILL – your service must be provided with reasonable care and skill and ‘as agreed’, this could mean you’ll be due compensation if you paid for a seat and you don’t get it or if there isn’t wifi and it was advertised as being available.
CASH NOT VOUCHERS – you can now receive your refund or compensation in cash instead of vouchers
SEASON TICKET HOLDERS CAN CLAIM – Although not part of the consumer rights act, Arriva Trains Wales have amended their Ts & Cs to allow annual season ticket holders to claim for individual journeys delayed by 30 minutes or more. Ìý
COURT ACTION – You can now take the train company to court under the consumer rights act if you cannot amicably agree an acceptable level of compensation.Ìý
Halloween costumes
Two years ago the daughter of TV presenter Claudia Winkleman was badly burnt when her Halloween witches outfit caught fire.Ìý Following the accident, some retailers promised to improve the safety of their costumes to make them less flammable.
However, when we test a range of Halloween dresses from our High Street retailers we find some rather frightening results.
Disabled Parking
Motorists with a disability rely on disabled parking spaces to help make their lives a little easier,Ìýbut one car park seems toÌýbe making things more difficult. A disabled driver has received a parking charge notice, but says there were no signs in the disabled parking area outlining the terms and conditions. So who's in the wrong? Omar investigates.
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James Motor Co
Back in May, pensioners Gareth and Joy Rees from Brynamman paid six thousand pounds for a new set of wheels to tow their caravan. But the garage which sold it to them now has their cash and their car!
The Carmarthenshire couple part exchanged their Vauxhall Astra estateÌýfor a Land Rover Freelander, but within a day of getting it home a whole host of problems emerged. James Motor company failed to fix the faults so Gareth and Joy rejected the car and asked for a full refund. But despite a court judgement, James Motor Company hasn’t paid up – so X-Ray takes up the case
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ADVICE
If you think the parking firm has issued the ticket unfairly, you can report it to the landowner or employer.
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GATHER EVIDENCE IF YOU PLAN TO APPEAL THE TICKET:
If you return to your car to find a parking charge notice, gather as much evidence as possible. Even if you're reading this after you've left, it's probably worth returning to the site, but it should be very soon afterÌýas the evidence mustÌýtruly reflect the situation from when you were issued the parking charge notice, should you decide to appeal.
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CLAMPING CARS ONÌýPRIVATE LAND:
Clamping and towing on private land is banned in England and Wales under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012,Ìýbut depending on the circumstances you CAN beÌýlegally clamped or towedÌýby a private company.
In Wales (and England and Scotland), firms are sometimes subcontracted by local authorities, the police or Government agencies including the DVLA. These may have the right to clamp or tow your vehicle away.
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Lucy Owen |
Presenter | Omar Hamdi |
Reporter | Rachel Treadaway-Williams |
Series Producer | Joanne Dunscombe |
Broadcast
- Mon 24 Oct 2016 19:30´óÏó´«Ã½ One Wales HD & Wales only