Transport
for
London


is
vowing
to
crack
down
on
‘blatant’
fare
evasion
on
its
trains,
such
as
pushing
through
Underground
ticket
gates.

The
team
of
dedicated
investigators
is
being
enlarged,
and
it
will
focus
on
‘the
most
persistent
and
high-impact
offenders’,
who
cost
TfL
thousands
of
pounds
in
lost
revenue
each
year.

TfL
said
its
new
strategy
has
already
succeeded
on
the
Underground,
where
more
than
£400,000
was
awarded
to
TfL
by
the
courts
last
year
following
the
prosecution
of
360
prolific
fare
evaders.
Attention
will
now
be
turning
to
the
Overground
and
the
Elizabeth
Line,
followed
by
other
rail
modes.

By
analysing
travel
patterns,
the
team
will
focus
on
those
who
evade
fares
repeatedly,
ensuring
they
are
caught
and
held
accountable.
TfL
also
maintains
a
register
of
repeat
offenders
to
help
with
enforcement
and
potential
prosecution.

One
major
area
of
concern
is
contactless
card
fare
evasion.
In
one
recent
case,
a
passenger
used
a
contactless
payment
card
to
evade
the
correct
fare
for
202
journeys.
After
investigation,
the
person
involved
was
ordered
to
pay
£1,472
in
fines.

TfL’s
director
of
security,
policing
and
enforcement
Siwan
Hayward
said:
‘The
overwhelming
majority
of
customers
pay
the
correct
fare,
and
it’s
unfair
to
those
who
do
that
a
minority
avoid
paying.
We
are
strengthening
our
capability
to
deter
and
detect
fare
evaders
ensuring
they
face
the
consequences
of
their
actions
and
that
the
cost
of
fare
evasion
is
paid
by
the
evaders,
not
our
fare
paying
customers
or
taxpayers.
Fare
evasion
is
not
a
victimless
crime.
It
robs
Londoners
of
vital
investment
in
a
safe,
frequent
and
reliable
transport
network
and
we
are
committed
to
reducing
the
current
rate
of
fare
evasion
to
1.5
per
cent
by
2030.’

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