:) Hi all
I am new to this website after reading all about it in a magazine.
I have read the guide into trying to find an alternative number and also have done a search to see if this one has been covered before but am unable to find it.
I am looking for an alternative number for the Dial  A Ride booking office. the number we have is 0845 999 1 999. their address is Progress House,
5 Mandela Way,
London
SE1 5SS.
My elderly disabled Mum uses this service, but it costs her between £7-£10 per month in phone calls just to get through on their automated system.
It used to be up until about  a year ago, an 0207 number, which didnt cost her anything as it came in with her free local calls from BT.
Any advice on how to find out would be appreciated.
Angie


~Edited by bbb_uk: Amended title

Contact details for TfL's Dial-A-Ride are here where anyone in the boroughs of Brent, Croydon, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Lambeth, Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton, Wandsworth have to ring 0845 999 1 999.

Searching around I found 020 7222 1234 which ringing it I found it still works.

I have added the number to the database but I would be grateful if you could confirm it's the correct number for the areas above (ie the only number to have an 0845 as all other areas use normal geographical numbers).

Quote:

I found 020 7222 1234 which ringing it I found it still works.

This is the longstanding number for London Transport travel enquiries.  It used to be ABBEY 1234 when we still had letters as well as numbers on our telephone dials.

I sent an email complaint to TfL about the matter LEOLOVER  raised. Will post the reply if I ever get one.

Hi

Thanks for that, I tried the number you found, but unfortunately it is a travel information line, not for Dial A Ride but for the 'normal' buses, trams etc. :(

What has happened is that the areas now covered by this new 0845 number go to this main central call centre. the other areas are still at local depots, hence they still have the old 0208 and 0207 numbers, but gradually when they all go to this call centre it will be just this one 0845 number and then I expect my mum's phone bill will go up even more as they do not seem to be able to handle the calls now!!

I had looked at that website  and even tried changing the last number on the fax number, was hoping this might have got me through as this is still an 0207 number...i will keep looking...thanks for your help. Angie

Thanks lompos, I also have written to Dial A Ride about this, they just told me to send in one of my mum's phone bills, which I did.....8 months ago, still no reply, even though I have sent emails since. So thanks for sending them an email too, maybe it will help, but don't hold your breath!!

lompos wrote on Dec 27^th, 2006 at 8:03pm:

Quote: I found 020 7222 1234 which ringing it I found it still works. This is the longstanding number for London Transport travel enquiries.  It used to be ABBEY 1234 when we still had letters as well as numbers on our telephone dials.

Ok, thanks for letting me know.  I've removed that number from the database.



leolover wrote on Dec 27^th, 2006 at 6:52pm:

It used to be up until about  a year ago, an 0207 number

Do you still have the old 020 number as I want to see what, if any, the pattern is with the numbers.

Yes, I do still have the old number but it used to be at the Wimbledon depot, so I do not think it will help, but it used to be 0208 879 5020, thanks Sherlock :D

Angie

The contact page for DaR is here. It lists two geographical phone numbers and a fax.


Quote:

Telephone or fax Telephone: 020 7027 5823 or 020 7027 5824 Fax:020 7027 5801

With the fax ending 01 and the numbers starting with the same few digits, 020 7027 5800 may be worth a try as it may be a switchboard number. Let us know what you try and what works.

Where is the 0845 number printed then?

Quote:

Where is the 0845 number printed then?

The 0845 999 1 999 contact number is given here:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/dial-a-ride/contacts-depots.shtml

The 0845 contact number covers random boroughs in North and South London and Leolover is probably right, they are eventually going to change all local depot contact numbers to this call centre number.

Does anybody have the email address for Ken Livingstone, so that the complaint can be forwarded to him directly?

I have tried all of those phone numbers but no luck, the 5800 one just rings and rings and then eventually gets cut off, I have tried it several times too.

I am not sure how to get in touch with Ken Livingstone, but I will try and find out from one of the Dial A Ride drivers to see if they can help at all.

Thanks to all of you for trying.

leolover,

I've sent you a Private Message (PM).

Quote:

I am not sure how to get in touch with Ken Livingstone, but I will try and find out from one of the Dial A Ride drivers to see if they can help at all.

The email address for Ken Livingstone is mayor@london.gov.uk and I sent him a complaint/request for help.

Thanks for that, really appreciate your help.

Welcome to pedants' corner, where we find that the old number was ABBey 1234, the bold capitals indicating that one dialled the letters, giving 222; ABBey and Abbey of course indicating different instructions to the prewar caller.

ps - Good Luck with trying to eradicate this greedy and dishonest practice of hidden revenue share. The original board members of London Transport must be spinning in their graves at this attitude to the public.

Leolover has sent off an FOI to TfL concerning this.

More info in the FOI section here.

I have today received an email from Tfl's Dial A Ride service, following the request I made to them under the Freedom of Infomation Act. I have posted their reply under the FOI section of this website. I would also like to say a BIG thanks to all those that helped me to get this number!!

Angie

The number found by leolover is 020 7394 5800.

I've added this to the database.

Following reply received in reponse to my email to Ken Livingstone, which is very much in line what Leolover received from TfL in response to his/her FOI request:

Dear Mr xxxxxx,


Quote:

Dear Mr xxx, Thank you for your recent email regarding our use of an 0845 number for Dial-a-Ride bookings. The service introduced this number for our new centralised booking service because it provides us with disaster recovery facilities that are not available with an ordinary 0207 or 0208 number, as we can very quicky redirect the phone lines should a flood/ fire or other emergency mean that we cannot operate from our London call centre. Normally 0845 numbers are charged as if they are local calls, so in theory should not be more expensive that our previous booking numbers. We have, however received a number of complaints from customers who have experienced an increase in their telephone bills related to the way that some phone providers charge for 0845 numbers. Dial-a-Ride fully appreciates that the charging policies of some telephone providers is causing difficulty for some of our customers and so we have decided to provide customers with an 0207 number that they can use to contact us as an alternative to the 0845 number. This number is 0207 394 5800. I would be grateful if you could pass this information to your mother and advise her that she can use this number to make her bookings in the future. We will be shortly issuing this number to all customers to use if they prefer. I do hope that this will resolve the problems that your mother has been experiencing. Please do not hesitate to contact me if she has any other issues she would like to raise relating to her Dial-a-Ride service. Yours sincerely Joyce Mamode Head of Passenger Services London Dial-a-Ride joyce.mamode@tfl-buses.co.uk

Nearly there, except that the London code is 020; not 0207, 0208 nor even 0203.

Tanllan, your observation is a bit pedantic. I would rather take issue with what TfL said in their email:


Quote:

Normally 0845 numbers are charged as if they are local calls, so in theory should not be more expensive that our previous booking numbers. We have, however received a number of complaints from customers who have experienced an increase in their telephone bills related to the way that some phone providers charge for 0845 numbers.

Is the geographical number posted on the website yet?

yes