Intalink

On behalf of the county council, Intalink have a number of responsibilities and duties in a wide variety of areas.{{Cite web |url=http://www.intalink.org.uk/downloads/PDFS/Intalink_Strategy.pdf |title=Intalink Strategy 2007-2011 |access-date=2 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719050242/http://www.intalink.org.uk/downloads/PDFS/Intalink_Strategy.pdf |archive-date=19 July 2011 |url-status=dead }} These involve making sure that the public is aware of the Intalink brand and the services provided.[http://www.redrosetravel.co.uk/Red_Rose_Travel/Travel_Guide.html Red Rose bus operator - showing how the services are promoted by an Intalink partner] They also seek to reduce congestion and emissions through the use of careful planning with operators. They also believe that social exclusion, accessibility, travel plans and mode share (where people share a mode of transport, such as taxis or cars) are important factors in Hertfordshire. They aim to demonstrate the advantages of public transport to users,[http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/britain/public-transport-for-walkers.htm#E Ramblers - potential users of public transport] communities,{{Cite web |url=http://www.hertford.net/travel/buses.asp |title=A specific community - Hertford - more potential users |access-date=3 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419231042/http://www.hertford.net/travel/buses.asp |archive-date=19 April 2009 |url-status=dead }} local authorities,{{Cite web |url=http://www.north-herts.gov.uk/index/transport_and_streets/public_transport.htm |title=A typical example of how a local council promotes/shows Intalink |access-date=2 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100901144806/http://www.north-herts.gov.uk/index/transport_and_streets/public_transport.htm |archive-date=1 September 2010 |url-status=dead }} businesses, leisure and health and new members that could wish to join the Intalink community. They aim to keep the public transport in Hertfordshire to a high standard in conjunction with local operators.[http://unobus.info/ An example of a bus company mentioning Intalink's purposes]

They also have a number of specific aims, such as persuading operators to submit bus registrations and service change notifications to the council using new Electronic Bus Service Registration techniques, making sure operators do not make an excessive number of changes within a short period of time to maintain stability and to make sure operators keep a high standard of service running.

As part of their duties Intalink release a number of publications. Many of these are available on the website organised into specific categories. The publications include:

• Area Travel Guides (showing timetables and maps of train and bus services).[http://www.intalink.org.uk/default.asp?contentID=587#AreaGuide Information about Area Travel Guides] These are divided into 7 main areas of Hertfordshire.[http://www.intalink.org.uk/default.asp?contentID=605 Page showing the main areas of Hertfordshire into which the Area Guides are divided.]
• A County map (showing all bus and train services in Hertfordshire, except for school services).[http://www.intalink.org.uk/Maps/Herts-County-Map.pdf Intalink.org.uk]
• Intalink Intachange magazines, published bi-monthly, providing news, information of service changes and ticket offer updates.[http://www.intalink.org.uk/news.asp?nID=1 News of the latest Intachange publications.]
• Leaflets showing information about contracted services (such as the S services around St Albans)
• Bus stop timetables, where operators do not provide their own.

They have a website providing information about the services they provide. There are short films promoting public transport{{Cite web |url=http://www.intalink.org.uk/default.asp?contentID=692 |title=Short films on aspects of public transport created by Intalink |access-date=2 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719050509/http://www.intalink.org.uk/default.asp?contentID=692 |archive-date=19 July 2011 |url-status=dead }} and information on the ticket offers available.[http://www.intalink.org.uk/default.asp?contentID=584 Ticket offers in Hertfordshire through Intalink] There are also links to the timetables, maps, how to find the nearest bus stop and how to plan journeys using Traveline.

In addition to the above, they also have a Twitter account detailing any service updates or changes in the future.[https://twitter.com/intalink Intalink's Twitter profile page]

Intalink manages a number of ticketing schemes across the county in coordination with bus operators. These are outlined below.

The Explorer ticket was introduced in 2001 and started off as a simple £6 ticket for one person that provided unlimited bus travel throughout the county. Since then it has developed and in there are five current types of Explorer tickets available:

• Unlimited travel for up to four people, no matter whether adult or child, across the whole network for £14.00 until midnight that day.
• Unlimited travel for one adult across the whole network for £8.50 until midnight that day.
• Unlimited travel for one child, or concessionary travel receiver, across the whole network for £4.25 until midnight that day.
• Unlimited travel for one adult across the whole network for one week for £32.00.
• Unlimited travel for one child across the whole network for one week for £21.00.

Regarding bus tickets, a child is defined as someone under the age of eleven or someone under the age of eighteen in possession of a Hertfordshire Savercard.

Tickets are available and accepted on almost every service within the county, with few exceptions. The main exceptions are school services, coaches and services contracted to Transport for London. It is also not valid on Green Line service 724 between Maple Cross and Heathrow Airport. The Explorer is also valid in a number of locations outside the county, mainly services contracted to Essex County Council and services that are mainly in-county but leave the county for a section of route. All Intalink-produced timetables show the validity of Explorer tickets.[http://www.intalink.org.uk/default.asp?contentID=587#Timetable An example timetable, annotated (point 7 shows the Explorer validity)]

This offers discounted season tickets to travel within specific places within the county. It is aimed at local students and businesses to get colleagues between home and their place of work or study. There are two examples in the county currently:

• Hertford Town Centre
• Hatfield Business Park

File:Uno PlusBus bus 153.jpg promoting PlusBus.]]

This is a national scheme allowing integrated bus and train travel for one price. Intalink currently manage the promotion of this scheme in Hertfordshire. It is currently at 35 out of 50 rail stations in Hertfordshire and for a small supplementary charge to a rail ticket, unlimited bus travel in the area around the railway station is available. More information about the areas of validity are available on the PlusBus information page{{Cite web |url=http://www.intalink.org.uk/default.asp?contentID=645 |title=Intalink.org.uk |access-date=2 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822215651/http://www.intalink.org.uk/default.asp?contentID=645 |archive-date=22 August 2009 |url-status=dead }} on the Intalink website.

In the future, there are many plans to promote and improve public transport through Intalink. There are plans to introduce real time information showing what time a bus will actually arrive, as opposed to the current system where just the scheduled time is shown. Bus stop timetables may be changed; currently Intalink are trialling stop specific timetables as opposed to the current type where the same timetable is posted at every bus stop. If the plans go ahead, operators will be able to also send out updates to the bus stops (where they have electronic displays) to display status updates and details of alterations or cancellations.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.intalink.org.uk/ Intalink website]
• [https://twitter.com/intalink Intalink's Twitter page]

Category:Transport in Hertfordshire