§ 101-41.205-1 - Use of teletype ticketing equipment.

(a) Teleticketing systems. (1) Agencies are encouraged to adopt the use of teletype machines for issuing tickets for passenger transportation services (other than air excess baggage services) and the use of the systems concept of automatic payment as set forth in § 101-41.206, whenever cost effective and feasible, so that the number of GTR's issued may be reduced and the expense and time expended in picking up tickets and processing individual carrier bills may be eliminated. Each agency should compare its current costs associated with passenger transportation procurement and payment with the potential costs of using a teleticketing and/or automatic payment system. Specific cost information can be obtained from the local communications company responsible for installing the teletype ticketing equipment. Also, agencies may jointly establish a teleticketing system on a common-use basis to reduce individual agency costs.

(2) GSA has entered into a master contract with passenger-carrying members of the air transportation industry for teleticketing service. Copies of the contract, as well as information on agency procedures and responsibilities and GSA reporting requirements, may be obtained from the appropriate GSA regional office. Additional information and assistance is available from General Services Administration (FT), Washington, DC 20406. Under this teleticketing system, the contractor airline furnishes prenumbered teletype ticket stock and a validating stamp to the agency. The issuance of a ticket on that stock is accomplished by activation of the teletype equipment by the ticketing airline in response to a request from the agency. Each agency shall be responsible for establishing procedures and facilities for effectively maintaining accountability, control, and security of the teleticket receiver, ticket stock, validating stamp, tickets and ticket copies, and GTR's.

(b) General procedures for issuing and processing teletype tickets. (1) At the beginning of each calendar week or of a mutually agreed upon payment period not exceeding 1 month, a so-called blanket GTR shall be issued for each agency or paying office using the service at a given location. The number of the GTR shall be furnished to the carrier each time transmission of a ticket is requested during the payment period so that it may be printed on the ticket. Any ticket transmitted by the carrier that does not bear the applicable GTR number shall not be validated or issued by the Government teletype clerk.

(2) A separate ticket listing shall be maintained for each GTR to show the number and value of each ticket issued under it, the appropriation or fund chargeable, and other information that may be essential to agency and carrier fiscal requirements.

(3) At the end of the payment period, payment shall be effected as set forth in § 101-41.206.

(c) Procedures for processing unused tickets. All coupons of a completely unused ticket procured on a GTR that has not been processed for payment shall be marked “VOID,” and the pertinent entry on the ticket listing shall be lined out. All voided coupons other than the agent's coupon shall accompany the ticket listing when it is processed for payment. The agent's coupon shall be retained by the agency. A completely unused ticket procured on a GTR that has already been paid and all partially unused tickets, whether paid or not, shall be processed on Standard Form 1170, Redemption of Unused Tickets, to the contractor-carrier for refund under procedures set forth in § 101-41.210.

(31 U.S.C. 952, 31 U.S.C. 3726; 40 U.S.C. 486(c))