Fare evasion costs the National Rail network alone an estimated GB pound 200 million per annum. In London, 90,000 fines are issued every year to people travelling without a ticket on the tube system, the buses and the Docklands Light Railway, with more than GB pound 60 million being lost to fare evasion.
Since the introduction of penalty fares some ten years ago, train fares have increased to such an extent that the existing GB pound 10 penalty is rendered an almost meaningless deterrent.
While we at Group 4 Securicor (UK Security) welcome the Government’s decision to raise the bar, experience has shown that this may not be enough. Although the majority of train passengers are law abiding, a determined minority will always try their luck on the basis that if they are caught, say, a couple of times per month, it is still going to be cheaper than buying a ticket.
To make any kind of penalty fare effective, it needs to be enforced by revenue protection officers. Our experience has shown that, for those rail operators who have invested in this service, revenue protection officers recoup (on average) between GB pound 75,000 and GB pound 90,000 per month – which certainly amounts to more than the odd GB pound 20 fine.
Douglas Greenwell, Marketing Director, Group 4 Securicor (UK Security)