Caught using freedom pass

[ssss24]

I get caught using freedom pass last weekend 20th and just receive the letter from TFL 26th. The letter mentioned need to email back in 10 days, please can I seek all your guidance on how to reply it.


Firstly I want to express my deep regret for my actions. I genuinely wasn't aware that what I did was against the law, and I would never have considered it if I have known.
As someone who is new to the city of a year now, I’m committed to building a positive future and reputation here so I truly don’t want to jeopardize that or end up with a criminal record.

If anyone has advice on how to move forward, I would really appreciate it.

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

Transport for London take misuse of Freedom Passes very seriously and a prosecution under the TfL Bylaws is the usual outcome.

The letter you've been sent is TfL's standard verification letter which is your opportunity to give any mitigating circumstances which you would like them to take into account when deciding how to proceed.

I suggest you mention the following in your reply:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and TfL's administrative costs in dealing with the matter

TfL generally do not offer out of court settlements although in some very limited circumstances they have been known to issue a final warning instead of prosecution. Prosecutions are normally done through what is called a Single Justice Procedure Notice. This means that if you plead guilty it is not necessary to attend court in person (unless you choose to do), you simply return the form to the court with any mitigation you want them to tae into account and they will write to you with the details of the fine you have to pay.

If you are prosecuted and plead guilty (or are found guilty by the court) then you will have to pay:

- A fine based on your income
- A surcharge of 40% of the value of the fine
- A contribution towards TfL's costs
- Compensation for the fares avoided

If you are found guilty then this is a criminal conviction. If you are prosecuted under the TfL Bylaws (which is what normally happens) then the conviction isn't normally recorded on the Police National Computer and won't normally appear on Basic DBS checks although we always advise people to be honest when asked if they have a conviction.

Here's a link to TfL's Revenue Enforcement & Prosecutions Policy which you might find worth reading:

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/revenue-enforcement-and-prosecutions-policy.pdf

 

[Fawkes Cat]

I get caught using freedom pass last weekend 20th and just receive the letter from TFL 26th. The letter mentioned need to email back in 10 days, please can I seek all your guidance on how to reply it.


Firstly I want to express my deep regret for my actions. I genuinely wasn't aware that what I did was against the law, and I would never have considered it if I have known.
As someone who is new to the city of a year now, I’m committed to building a positive future and reputation here so I truly don’t want to jeopardize that or end up with a criminal record.

If anyone has advice on how to move forward, I would really appreciate it.

Welcome to the forum. In our experience, TfL almost always prosecute cases like this, so you should expect that to be what happens in your case.

That means that it will be almost impossible to avoid a criminal record and a fine as a punishment (and it will be a fine - you won't get sent to prison for this) and the best you can hope for is to get through the process as easily as possible.

So write back to TfL in more or less the same way that you have written to us. Don't bother with special pleading - my understanding is that Freedom Passes have a picture of their owner on them, so it's hard to think that TfL will believe that you didn't know you shouldn't use it. Essentially, co-operate and hope for the lowest possible fine.

 

[John R]

Yes they do have a picture on them, so I don’t think anyone (particularly TfL) will believe the OP if they say that they didn’t know it was wrong to use it. And so best not to say it.

 

[ssss24]

I have no idea how to reply as a first-time offender. Please let me know what information should i include in the letter how much detail should have?

My draft:
Dear Investigations Team,


Reference: <reference number>


I am writing to express my heartfelt apologies for the misuse of my partner's mothers' Freedom Pass. I fully recognize the importance of this benefit and the strict regulations surrounding its use. I deeply regret my actions and the potential harm they have caused to Transport for London's finances.


I have been reflecting on my behavior and feel a profound sense of shame for my decision. It was a thoughtless mistake, and I understand how it undermines the trust placed in individuals who hold such passes. I am truly sorry for any inconvenience and financial repercussions this may have caused.


The possibility of facing a criminal conviction weighs heavily on me. As someone who is new to the city and deeply committed to becoming a good citizen, the possibility of facing a criminal conviction is particularly distressing to me. I am dedicated to contributing positively to this community and to making it my long-term home.


I truly appreciate your time and consideration in reviewing my response. I hope it reflects the sincerity of my remorse. If there is any opportunity to resolve this matter out of court, whether through a financial settlement or another suitable approach, I would be deeply grateful for your understanding.


Thank you for your understanding.


Yours faithfully,

 

[Fawkes Cat]

I have no idea how to reply as a first-time offender. Please let me know what information should i include in the letter how much detail should have?

My draft:
Dear Investigations Team,


Reference: <reference number>


I am writing to express my heartfelt apologies for the misuse of my partner's mothers' Freedom Pass. I fully recognize the importance of this benefit and the strict regulations surrounding its use. I deeply regret my actions and the potential harm they have caused to Transport for London's finances.


I have been reflecting on my behavior and feel a profound sense of shame for my decision. It was a thoughtless mistake, and I understand how it undermines the trust placed in individuals who hold such passes. I am truly sorry for any inconvenience and financial repercussions this may have caused.


The possibility of facing a criminal conviction weighs heavily on me. As someone who is new to the city and deeply committed to becoming a good citizen, the possibility of facing a criminal conviction is particularly distressing to me. I am dedicated to contributing positively to this community and to making it my long-term home.


I truly appreciate your time and consideration in reviewing my response. I hope it reflects the sincerity of my remorse. If there is any opportunity to resolve this matter out of court, whether through a financial settlement or another suitable approach, I would be deeply grateful for your understanding.


Thank you for your understanding.


Yours faithfully,

Given what I have suggested you should be aiming for (post #3 above) I think this is ok. I don't think it will get TfL to drop the prosecution, but as @Hadders pointed out in post #2, realistically they will prosecute anyhow. What you have here is suitably apologetic and will enable TfL to move ahead, so the courts won't see you as delaying things - which is useful when it comes to minimising the fine.

 

[AlterEgo]

What you have here is suitably apologetic and will enable TfL to move ahead, so the courts won't see you as delaying things - which is useful when it comes to minimising the fine.

The OP is unable to delay anything as TfL will proceed anyway to a prosecution whether they hear from them or not. The OP cannot take any steps to "minimising the fine" other than by pleading guilty when the SJPN paperwork arrives.

I have no idea how to reply as a first-time offender. Please let me know what information should i include in the letter how much detail should have?

My draft:
Dear Investigations Team,


Reference: <reference number>


I am writing to express my heartfelt apologies for the misuse of my partner's mothers' Freedom Pass. I fully recognize the importance of this benefit and the strict regulations surrounding its use. I deeply regret my actions and the potential harm they have caused to Transport for London's finances.


I have been reflecting on my behavior and feel a profound sense of shame for my decision. It was a thoughtless mistake, and I understand how it undermines the trust placed in individuals who hold such passes. I am truly sorry for any inconvenience and financial repercussions this may have caused.


The possibility of facing a criminal conviction weighs heavily on me. As someone who is new to the city and deeply committed to becoming a good citizen, the possibility of facing a criminal conviction is particularly distressing to me. I am dedicated to contributing positively to this community and to making it my long-term home.


I truly appreciate your time and consideration in reviewing my response. I hope it reflects the sincerity of my remorse. If there is any opportunity to resolve this matter out of court, whether through a financial settlement or another suitable approach, I would be deeply grateful for your understanding.


Thank you for your understanding.


Yours faithfully,

You should write the response in British English (we say behaviour not behavior, and recognise not recognize).

As an aside the response reads like it was generated by AI - there is no actual remorse shown, nor is the incident addressed directly. If you read this as one of 100 letters coming across your desk every day, would it seem like you were sorry and really understood why it was wrong? TfL haven't suffered inconvenience, rather you effectively stole from the farebox. I'd write in more direct and plainer English, like "I am truly sorry for misusing the pass and understand I should pay the fare" and don't suggest it was a "thoughtless mistake" - forgetting your ticket might be one of those, but people caught red handed with Freedom Passes are just hardened fare evaders who TfL know do this repeatedly.

I'd take out the line about "trust in individuals who hold such passes" - unless you're implying it was misused with the holder's permission (if this is true, DO NOT drop another person in it!).

You repeat being grateful/thankful for their understanding at the end, so remove one of these.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

You should write the response in British English (we say behaviour not behavior, and recognise not recognize).

As an aside the response reads like it was generated by AI - there is no actual remorse shown, nor is the incident addressed directly. If you read this as one of 100 letters coming across your desk every day, would it seem like you were sorry and really understood why it was wrong? TfL haven't suffered inconvenience, rather you effectively stole from the farebox. I'd write in more direct and plainer English, like "I am truly sorry for misusing the pass and understand I should pay the fare" and don't suggest it was a "thoughtless mistake" - forgetting your ticket might be one of those, but people caught red handed with Freedom Passes are just hardened fare evaders who TfL know do this repeatedly.

I'd take out the line about "trust in individuals who hold such passes" - unless you're implying it was misused with the holder's permission (if this is true, DO NOT drop another person in it!).

You repeat being grateful/thankful for their understanding at the end, so remove one of these.

This will undoubtedly lead to a better written letter, but will it lead to a better outcome for the OP?

It’s all about not letting the excellent being the enemy of the good.

 

[Haywain]

I have no idea how to reply as a first-time offender. Please let me know what information should i include in the letter how much detail should have?

My draft:
Dear Investigations Team,


Reference: <reference number>


I am writing to express my heartfelt apologies for the misuse of my partner's mothers' Freedom Pass. I fully recognize the importance of this benefit and the strict regulations surrounding its use. I deeply regret my actions and the potential harm they have caused to Transport for London's finances.


I have been reflecting on my behavior and feel a profound sense of shame for my decision. It was a thoughtless mistake, and I understand how it undermines the trust placed in individuals who hold such passes. I am truly sorry for any inconvenience and financial repercussions this may have caused.


The possibility of facing a criminal conviction weighs heavily on me. As someone who is new to the city and deeply committed to becoming a good citizen, the possibility of facing a criminal conviction is particularly distressing to me. I am dedicated to contributing positively to this community and to making it my long-term home.


I truly appreciate your time and consideration in reviewing my response. I hope it reflects the sincerity of my remorse. If there is any opportunity to resolve this matter out of court, whether through a financial settlement or another suitable approach, I would be deeply grateful for your understanding.


Thank you for your understanding.


Yours faithfully,

Over the top and insincere.

 

[AlterEgo]

This will undoubtedly lead to a better written letter, but will it lead to a better outcome for the OP?

It’s all about not letting the excellent being the enemy of the good.

Perhaps not, but we can be reasonably sure that an impersonal reply won't be of much benefit. Where TfL have given warnings they are usually done so off the back of compelling - or at least detailed and sincere - mitigation.