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The number of prosecutions for fare evasion is at its highest level for six years, figures show.
www.bbc.co.uk
The number of prosecutions for fare evasion on London Underground has risen to its highest level for six years, figures seen by the BBC show.
Transport for London (TfL) prosecuted 3,691 people on the Tube in 2024-25, and also issued 13,118 penalty fare notices (PFNs) and 850 written warnings.
In the same period, there was a record number of PFNs (12,527) handed out on London Overground but the number of prosecutions (3,044) fell by a third on the previous year. Some 440 warnings were issued...
In short; in 2024-5, TfL prosecuted 3,691 people, issued 13,118 penalty fare notices and 850 written warnings on the tube, with a further 12,527 PFNs on the Overground and 440 warnings.
That's a considerable number of people coming to TfL's attention. Although I note that on TfL's FOI page here: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transp.../foi-request-detail?referenceId=FOI-4525-2324 , they note they issued 54,155 PFNs in 2022-23, so I'm not sure how the BBC can say 2024-5 is the highest number since 2019. Am I missing something here?
The number of prosecutions for fare evasion is at its highest level for six years, figures show.
www.bbc.co.uk
In short; in 2024-5, TfL prosecuted 3,691 people, issued 13,118 penalty fare notices and 850 written warnings on the tube, with a further 12,527 PFNs on the Overground and 440 warnings.
That's a considerable number of people coming to TfL's attention. Although I note that on TfL's FOI page here: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transp.../foi-request-detail?referenceId=FOI-4525-2324 , they note they issued 54,155 PFNs in 2022-23, so I'm not sure how the BBC can say 2024-5 is the highest number since 2019. Am I missing something here?
I note that TfL is quoted with a target of 1.5% evasion by 2030. Without an indication of the current rate (rather than absolute numbers of people caught), I find the entire article completely meaningless.
Better station staffing / not leaving gatelines open for hours on end would help.
There has been a considerable reduction in revenue inspections in recent years. Until about 10 years ago, I would probably get checked 3-4 times per year on an LUL train. I can't remember the last time I got checked!
Better station staffing / not leaving gatelines open for hours on end would help.
There has been a considerable reduction in revenue inspections in recent years. Until about 10 years ago, I would probably get checked 3-4 times per year on an LUL train. I can't remember the last time I got checked!
I commuted daily on the tube for 12 years (2000-2012) as well as plenty of leisure use at the time, and regular use before and since and I'm certain I never saw any inspections on a train. I didn't even know that was a thing
Certainly not an expert as this isn't my field but I do chat to revenue bods in the staff canteen now and then and it’s a heck of lot more intelligence led nowadays. From the oyster system flagging up suspicious behaviour to station staff reports filtering through to identify hotspots and certain individuals who consistently fail to pay.
They also do the ‘purges’ where they attend mob handed firstly to obviously catch fare evaders but to also send a message to the fare paying public that operations like this are a frequent thing and a priority for LUL and I’ve also seen them on my train in uniform and plain clothed.
from talking to them, when it comes to persistent fare evaders, it’s generally a matter of when rather than if as it’s simply a matter of time before they get around to you and the more you evade, the higher the chance of a targeted appraoch.
Pushing through a TfL or railway barrier should be an offence.
The enforcement team should be given power of arrest (if they don't already have it).
Handcuff the offender, call the police to inform them to attend, have the police take them into custody and immediate processing at the magistrates court.
There is disputably power to detain under the regulation of railways act 1889 in certain circumstances, though arrest would normally require the offence be imprisonable for at least six months, which it quite rightly is not. Proportionality is important here.
Handcuff the offender, call the police to inform them to attend, have the police take them into custody and immediate processing at the magistrates court.
There is disputably power to detain under the regulation of railways act 1889 in certain circumstances, though arrest would normally require the offence be imprisonable for at least six months, which it quite rightly is not. Proportionality is important here.
How much extra tax are you willing to pay for this? The police are overstretched as it is.
For what offence precisely? A strict liability byelaw offence? Once again, proportionality comes into play. It's quite easy to end up with an invalid ticket and commit an offence unwittingly. Yet again a populist hang 'em and flog 'em type post with no appreciation of reality or nuance.
No sir, my post was specifically about pushing through barriers, nothing to do with ending up with an invalid ticket.
I was under the impression that only having an invalid/nonexistent ticket was an offence, as this is the only poster I've ever seen on a platform.
I want it to be an offence to push through the barrier, and I want ALL foreign criminals to be deported no matter how minor the crime. If you are convicted in court, and you are foreign, straight back home for you. You have forfeited your right to be in this nice country.
It wouldn't take any extra tax, just leave the offenders in handcuffs at the station entrance, and if the police take 6 hours to arrive, so be it. Send the bill to their embassy if required.
Good deterrent factor.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Why should I have to stand on a crowded train, when there are people sitting on that train who have pushed through a barrier? I and the rest of London are sick of it.
No sir, my post was specifically about pushing through barriers, nothing to do with ending up with an invalid ticket.
I was under the impression that only having an invalid/nonexistent ticket was an offence, as this is the only poster I've ever seen on a platform.
I want it to be an offence to push through the barrier, and I want ALL foreign criminals to be deported no matter how minor the crime. If you are convicted in court, and you are foreign, straight back home for you. You have forfeited your right to be in this nice country.
It wouldn't take any extra tax, just leave the offenders in handcuffs at the station entrance, and if the police take 6 hours to arrive, so be it. Send the bill to their embassy if required.
Good deterrent factor.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Why should I have to stand on a crowded train, when there are people sitting on that train who have pushed through a barrier? I and the rest of London are sick of it.
I have pushed through a barrier. Valid ticket, no staff in sight, long distance train to catch. Enjoy being handcuffed outside a police station if that ever happens to you
No sir, my post was specifically about pushing through barriers, nothing to do with ending up with an invalid ticket.
I was under the impression that only having an invalid/nonexistent ticket was an offence, as this is the only poster I've ever seen on a platform.
I want it to be an offence to push through the barrier, and I want ALL foreign criminals to be deported no matter how minor the crime. If you are convicted in court, and you are foreign, straight back home for you. You have forfeited your right to be in this nice country.
It wouldn't take any extra tax, just leave the offenders in handcuffs at the station entrance, and if the police take 6 hours to arrive, so be it. Send the bill to their embassy if required.
Good deterrent factor.
What's with the xenophobia? Why focus so specifically on "foreign" people.
Why do you think just slapping handcuffs on someone would do anything, without them being detained they would just walk off and then find some bolt cutters later.
It is an offence to push through the barriers and revenue protection officers will stop people and check their ticket if they see them push through (its happened to me when I had a genuine ticket but it didn't read correctly and the barriers shut as I was halfway through, plain clothes revenue protection then scanned to see I had a travelcard). But customer service staff aren't equipped to take action in case something violent happens.
No embassy is going to be interested in the actions of someone for low level crime.
In general I'd agree but it's the nuance: Would you deport an NHS surgeon from India if he was caught speeding? A Chinese professor at a University who'd forgotten to buy a ticket? I feel however this is a topic for general discussion.
The scale of the problem is huge though. I bet you could wait for no more than a minute or two at any busy station and see someone push through or double up. If you stayed longer, without looking suspicious, you'd likely see multiple incidents.
I have no idea if staff are bothering to report every one, although they should have a way to report the number of push throughs per hour/shift. If some staff aren't doing that then the figures are not going to be accurate.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
I'm willing to pay more tax to fund more police to deal with things like this, including more resources for anti social behaviour, enforcing the use of illegal e-scooters and e-bikes (often used to move around drugs or other crimes), shop lifting and anything where society begins to seem like it is falling apart and anyone can do whatever they want.
I also want more police who can deal with things like mental health issues (and the funding for training) as the idea that an ambulance needs to be called, which might take 3-6 hours to arrive for what's considered a low priority can put the individual and others at risk - not least if the person needing help is aggressive and the police end up being called anyway.
I think there's also a difference between the person who covers up, pushes through, shouts abuse and gets threatening with staff to get let out - and the person who is short faring and trying to be clever. Both things are criminal acts, but I think it less likely that the latter person is involved in other crimes. I realise I may be generalising, but think most people would agree.
The scale of the problem is huge though. I bet you could wait for no more than a minute or two at any busy station and see someone push through or double up. If you stayed longer, without looking suspicious, you'd likely see multiple incidents.
In a near fully gated system with staff on hand it should be possible to get most of them. It seems clear that more bouncer-like staff whose specific job it is to physically apprehend offenders are needed. We wouldn't contemplate having nightclubs without such staff, so why do we contemplate railway stations without them where there is an obvious problem?
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more about the meeting
Transport for London (TfL) has estimated that the lost revenue caused by fare evasion in 2023/24 was “more than £130m”.[1]
A TfL report also found that fare evasion and payment disputes are the cause of around half of all incidents of violence and aggression towards its staff.
Tomorrow, the London Assembly Transport Committee will ask what TfL is doing to tackle fare evasion and learn more about the impact it has on staff.
The guests are:
Panel 1: 10am – 11.30am
Jared Wood - London Transport Regional Organiser, RMT
Michael Roberts - Chief Executive, London TravelWatcH
Panel 2: 11.30am – 1pm
Siwan Hayward OBE - Director of Security, Policing and Enforcement, TfL
I'm willing to pay more tax to fund more police to deal with things like this, including more resources for anti social behaviour, enforcing the use of illegal e-scooters and e-bikes (often used to move around drugs or other crimes), shop lifting and anything where society begins to seem like it is falling apart and anyone can do whatever they want.
I also want more police who can deal with things like mental health issues (and the funding for training) as the idea that an ambulance needs to be called, which might take 3-6 hours to arrive for what's considered a low priority can put the individual and others at risk - not least if the person needing help is aggressive and the police end up being called anyway.
I think there's also a difference between the person who covers up, pushes through, shouts abuse and gets threatening with staff to get let out - and the person who is short faring and trying to be clever. Both things are criminal acts, but I think it less likely that the latter person is involved in other crimes. I realise I may be generalising, but think most people would agree.
In a near fully gated system with staff on hand it should be possible to get most of them. It seems clear that more bouncer-like staff whose specific job it is to physically apprehend offenders are needed. We wouldn't contemplate having nightclubs without such staff, so why do we contemplate railway stations without them where there is an obvious problem?
We do have Travelsafe Officers who are regulated and can eject people from a station, but they can't stop someone from leaving - thus you need more of them to stop people getting into the system in the first place. Unless every station is suitably protected, there will be loads of ways in - and thanks to the likes of TikTok and social media in general, there are actual guides on how to evade your fare.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Indeed. BTP officers are expensive, so TSOs appear to be getting introduced at some train stations. TfL presumably have their equivalent, and it can be quite amusing to see them step in and surprise those who have become accustomed to doing what they want with no intervention.
Sadly, I can see that sooner or later we're going to hear of attacks on these officers who, at the end of the day, still aren't police officers and don't have the same equipment to protect themselves.
No sir, my post was specifically about pushing through barriers, nothing to do with ending up with an invalid ticket.
I was under the impression that only having an invalid/nonexistent ticket was an offence, as this is the only poster I've ever seen on a platform.
I want it to be an offence to push through the barrier, and I want ALL foreign criminals to be deported no matter how minor the crime. If you are convicted in court, and you are foreign, straight back home for you. You have forfeited your right to be in this nice country.
It wouldn't take any extra tax, just leave the offenders in handcuffs at the station entrance, and if the police take 6 hours to arrive, so be it. Send the bill to their embassy if required.
Good deterrent factor.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Why should I have to stand on a crowded train, when there are people sitting on that train who have pushed through a barrier? I and the rest of London are sick of it.
LU CSAs have an ipad and an app where they can register every occasion of fare evasion. This is then collated centrally and the hotspots discovered, with a view to revenue arriving en masse one day.
I note at Uxbridge there is a CSA who marks each fare evader in marker pen on the glass of the glap (the little box the often sit in) and totals them up at the end of the day in one report. He told me it was because there were too many to open the ipad and report each one individually.
The wide gates self report each time they are forced open I believe.
I commuted daily on the tube for 12 years (2000-2012) as well as plenty of leisure use at the time, and regular use before and since and I'm certain I never saw any inspections on a train. I didn't even know that was a thing
Agreed on this - I have been inspected a number of times on the Overground before but never physically inspected on an underground train.
It's good to see that they are taking this seriously - I can recommend a number of stations that could do with a huge presence a lot more often, Seven Sisters for a start. Although I guess the occasional presence is quite good in as much as indicating that you never know when there might be loads of inspectors, security and BTP in place.
Just in response to some comments above, I have long been of the opinion undercover police revenue operations are a wonderful gateway to tackling other forms of crime. The initial fare evasion offence gives officers the opportunity to detain and search the culprit. I cannot tell you have many times this has led to the discovery of large quantities of drugs, zombie knives, arrest warrants or immigration issues. I have seen all of the above first hand on many occasions.
Amazing, thank you for this insight, I totally agree - get tough on the "minor" crimes (which aren't actually minor, as they degrade the very fabric of society, the social contract, the premise that if you work hard and do the right thing you will be successful), and you will find the whole of society gets cleaned up, right up to the major crimes. Well said my friend
Just in response to some comments above, I have long been of the opinion undercover police revenue operations are a wonderful gateway to tackling other forms of crime. The initial fare evasion offence gives officers the opportunity to detain and search the culprit. I cannot tell you have many times this has led to the discovery of large quantities of drugs, zombie knives, arrest warrants or immigration issues. I have seen all of the above first hand on many occasions.
Better station staffing / not leaving gatelines open for hours on end would help.
There has been a considerable reduction in revenue inspections in recent years. Until about 10 years ago, I would probably get checked 3-4 times per year on an LUL train. I can't remember the last time I got checked!
Its so uncommon, that some some people's reactions to onboard inspection is that they must be scammers, because tfl never officially checks tickets onboard. Ive seen people asking questions on reddit and instagram where they think it was a scam because they have never seen an inspector onboard before
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www.bbc.co.uk
