Metrolink fine whilst using MOD90

[anthonylarkin]

I produced a valid MOD90 to a ticket inspector on an off peak tram. They insisted I needed a ticket contrary to https://tfgm.com/public-transport/tram/free-travel-for-members-of-the-armed-forces

I have frequently used my mod90 before and had it accepted as a valid pass.

I appealed via the form to Revenue Recovery Services – Appeals Team and they have just replied denying the appeal and stating next step would be to take it to Magistrates.

Any advice?

 

[AlterEgo]

Please show us any and all correspondence with your details redacted so we can see exactly what stage this is at. Were you penalty fared?

 

[anthonylarkin]

Please show us any and all correspondence with your details redacted so we can see exactly what stage this is at. Were you penalty fared?

Yes, I issued with a penalty fare, appealed it via the website stating I had a valid MOD90 and they replied:

I refer to your representations in the e-mail below about the issue of the Penalty Fare, issued to you in accordance with Regulation 4(1)(a) of the Greater Manchester Metrolink System Byelaws.

Within your appeal, you confirm that you were not able to produce a valid ticket when requested to do so. This is a breach of the byelaws and conditions of carriage of Metrolink. We have considered the mitigation you have provided in your appeal, but do not consider the mitigating factors sufficient.

Therefore, your appeal has been denied, and you are still liable for the Penalty Fare. Please make urgent contact to settle this matter.

Penalty Fare costs will escalate if not paid within 21 days (from the date of issue) and may result in court proceedings being made against you. The time your standard fare was on appeal will be factored into the appropriate amount of payment due.

If you wish to continue to defend your case, you have the right to plead your mitigation to the Magistrates. If you are prosecuted and subsequently convicted, costs may be awarded against you and a substantial court fine may be imposed.

To settle this outstanding Penalty Fare, you can reach our dedicated payment team on 0161 202 0955. Opening hours are 08:30 to 16:00, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

For further information on how to purchase tickets on Metrolink before you board, please visit https://tfgm.com/tickets-and-passes/tram-how-to-buy-tickets. The Metrolink byelaws and conditions of carriage can be found at https://tfgm.com/public-transport/tram/conditions-byelaws-charter.

Regards


Revenue Recovery Services – Appeals Team

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jul 2025 ==

Delete

No, it's year round off peak free usage for current serving forces

 

[AlterEgo]

Did you enclose a copy of your MOD90? Or is this prohibited under the terms of its issue to you? Very much doubt this will get anywhere near court; the people deciding the penalty fare appeals are, as you’re finding out, intentionally stupid. Prosecution team hopefully less so. Even so you’ve got a completely watertight defence.

Tell your chain of command what’s going on, and be prepared to contact a newspaper in case the company doesn’t back down.

 

[jp4712]

The website is unambiguous - members of the Regular and Reserve Services can travel for free on Metrolink, off peak, when carrying their MOD90 card. Don't phone the phone number: they can only take payments, not discuss the case.

My recommendation would be to send them a link to the website, and suggest that you'll enjoy telling the Manchester Evening News when the case is due to come to court. You're 100% in the right and they're 100% in the wrong, so long as you produced your MOD90 and it was after 0930 or on a weekend.

 

[Egg Centric]

This is one of the rare cases a complaint to customer services may bear fruit as well.

 

[anthonylarkin]

Thanks all. The whole thing is completely baffling to me. (As well as the helpful officers of GMP who were there at the time and agreed with my interpretation but couldn't interfere with the ticket inspector's opinion - I did get a crime reference number!)

Sounds like the advice is:
1. Appeal via customer services
2. Await for a sensible person when they proceed to prosecution.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

The website is unambiguous - members of the Regular and Reserve Services can travel for free on Metrolink, off peak, when carrying their MOD90 card. Don't phone the phone number: they can only take payments, not discuss the case.

My recommendation would be to send them a link to the website,

It would also be a good idea to take a screenshot of the website. I don't suggest that Metrolink will play silly devils, but websites are liable to change so if it's important (as here) it's always a good idea to have your own proof of what the website did say.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It would also be a good idea to take a screenshot of the website. I don't suggest that Metrolink will play silly devils, but websites are liable to change so if it's important (as here) it's always a good idea to have your own proof of what the website did say.

One assumes the TVMs don't have an option for a free ticket with an MOD90 card? As you're just intended to carry said card, it seems clear that the TVM wouldn't have such a thing, which is further evidence.

 

[anthonylarkin]

One assumes the TVMs don't have an option for a free ticket with an MOD90 card? As you're just intended to carry said card, it seems clear that the TVM wouldn't have such a thing, which is further evidence.

Correct on all points!

 

[Bletchleyite]

In this case I'd be very tempted to let them attempt to make a fool of themselves in Court if the prosecutor didn't see any sense (see also that thread about Merseyrail misusing a particular Byelaw), but obviously that isn't *zero* risk so would need to be considered carefully.

 

[pdsalford]

I'd also suggest contacting TfGM, reminding them that they support the Armed Forces Covenant and asking if KAM even understand this and the embarrassment this will cause TfGM?

 

[185]

What time of day was this?

 

[anthonylarkin]

1905 on a

What time of day was this?

Monday evening.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Aug 2025 ==

I'd also suggest contacting TfGM, reminding them that they support the Armed Forces Covenant and asking if KAM even understand this and the embarrassment this will cause TfGM?

That's also a good idea. Thanks!

 

[185]

It's quite frustrating as the lady who ran RRS at Serco, Stagecoach, RATP then KAM - ie the contracted operator, for many years did handle a lot of appeals but always made a fair decision in my opinion. Now that the authority led Quango Bee Network are involved, new people with little experience of the real world are handling the £120 RTIs and appeals.

Serving members or serving reserve members have for several years been able to use a valid ie in-date MOD90 card. This move, to extend it beyond just remembrance day was pushed by the local politicians who run TfGM / Bee Network authority board.

-------------

Edit - Suggest sending a short complaint, attaching a clear photograph of the in-date MOD90 card to hello@beenetwork.com

If unsuccessful, I'd pay it, then contact Mr Burnham's assistant at the.mayor@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk to ask for your money back.

 

[pdsalford]

" It vanguard's quite frustrating as the lady who ran RRS at Serco, Stagecoach, RATP then KAM - ie the contracted operator, for many years did handle a lot of appeals but always made a fair decision in my opinion. Now that the authority led Quango Bee Network are involved, new people with little experience of the real world are handling the £120 RTIs and sorrowful face.

Serving members or serving reserve members have for several years been able to use a valid ie in-date MOD90 card. This move, to extend it beyond just remembrance day was pushed by the local politicians who run TfGM / Bee Network authority frontboard.

-------------

Edit - Suggest sending a short complaint, attaching a clear photograph of the in-date MOD90 card to handouts hangdoghello@beenetwork.com
unsuccessful, I'd pay it, then contact Mr Burnham's assistant at the.mayor@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk to ask for your money back.

In fairness, this is KAM, an organisation with poorly trained, badly managed front line 'travelsafe' staff, hopefully on their way out. a better suggestion would be to contact the Manchester Evening News, though that may mean you practicing a hangdog face with an I need compo face as with all Reach plc publications.

 

[furlong]

Personally, I'd just go straight to the Mayor in a case like this, as anyone can see that multiple things have gone wrong so blatantly and external scrutiny is required to ensure the organisation makes the changes it clearly needs to make. Seek a full apology and a token amount of financial compensation (which you should ask to be donated to an appropriate military charity of your choice).

 

[Kite159]

Personally, I'd just go straight to the Mayor in a case like this, as anyone can see that multiple things have gone wrong so blatantly and external scrutiny is required to ensure the organisation makes the changes it clearly needs to make. Seek a full apology and a token amount of financial compensation (which you should ask to be donated to an appropriate military charity of your choice).

Nah, go straight to the press.

Sending an email to the mayor's public facing address will just mean it goes to one of his minions who will probably reply with a standard response reserved for general complaints about penalty fares on metrolink.

 

[Hadders]

I would not go to the press - yet.

Whilst this is a bit of a howler people can, and do, make mistakes. A competent appeals process should allow the appeal.

If the appeal isn’t upheld then that would be the time to go to the press.

 

[furlong]

Sending an email to the mayor's public facing address will just mean it goes to one of his minions who will probably reply with a standard response reserved for general complaints about penalty fares on metrolink.

I doubt it - if that happened, that would risk embarrassing the Mayor!

 

[pwharley]

I would not go to the press - yet.

Whilst this is a bit of a howler people can, and do, make mistakes. A competent appeals process should allow the appeal.

If the appeal isn’t upheld then that would be the time to go to the press.

He has appealed (post #4) and it was rejected.

Unlike National Rail, there does not appear to be an independent body to escalate the appeal.

 

[furlong]

It's very simple - pick a publication such as https://www.forcesnews.com/military...ester-metrolink-totally-free-your-mod-card-90 - and ask the Mayor to investigate why TfGM is blatantly failing to implement his policy at multiple levels and what he intends to do about it. Copy in the Chief Executive.

 

[Hadders]

He has appealed (post #4) and it was rejected.

Unlike National Rail, there does not appear to be an independent body to escalate the appeal.

Apologies, I’d misread the opening post.

In that case I’d go to the press and the Mayor.

 

[furlong]

You might mention that if they go ahead with the prosecution you will call the Mayor as a witness to attest to the policy that they are denying.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Sending an email to the mayor's public facing address will just mean it goes to one of his minions who will probably reply with a standard response reserved for general complaints about penalty fares on metrolink

I don’t think they would. Serving military personnel getting a PF for travelling on accordance with the rules would definitely get the Mayor’s minions noticing it.

 

[pdsalford]

Have to account for there better don’t think they would. Serving military personnel getting a PF for travelling on accordance with the rules would definitely get the Mayor’s minions noticing it.

I agree, although an alternative option would be to call him during one of his Radio Manchester phone-ins on a Thursday morning. There's little better than listening to a politician squirm when they have to account for their pet project's failings

 

[AlterEgo]

I agree, although an alternative option would be to call him during one of his Radio Manchester phone-ins on a Thursday morning. There's little better than listening to a politician squirm when they have to account for their pet project's failings

Easiest spin-win for a politician ever that, giving them an opportunity to guff out a few lines.

"Oh gosh I'm so sorry about that - I'll get that looked into because this really shouldn't have happed to you (name). We take the Armed Forces Covenant really seriously and service people with a MOD90 are entitled to free offpeak travel and, you know, it's only right it's offered as recognition of your service. Actually in the last couple of months we gave all personnel, veterans and cadets free travel all weekend during Armed Forces Day, yada yada yada"

 

[Honestviews]

It's also stated in their armed forces covenant which they signed. It's at paragraph 2.1 of you use the link and download it.

Armed Forces Covenant

TfGM's commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant

tfgm.com

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Aug 2025 ==

You might mention that if they go ahead with the prosecution you will call the Mayor as a witness to attest to the policy that they are denying.

They can go better than that and quote their own armed forces covenant which they signed. Para 2.1

Armed Forces Covenant

TfGM's commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant

tfgm.com

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Aug 2025 ==

It would also be a good idea to take a screenshot of the website. I don't suggest that Metrolink will play silly devils, but websites are liable to change so if it's important (as here) it's always a good idea to have your own proof of what the website did say.

It's also in the covenant they signed so there is no getting away from it!

 

[Starmill]

The Manchester Evening News will write up crticisims of Metrolink in a heartbeat. Just saying!

 

[jumble]

Thanks all. The whole thing is completely baffling to me. (As well as the helpful officers of GMP who were there at the time and agreed with my interpretation but couldn't interfere with the ticket inspector's opinion - I did get a crime reference number!)

Sounds like the advice is:
1. Appeal via customer services
2. Await for a sensible person when they proceed to prosecution.

It shouldn't be baffling at all if you consider the possibility that your appeal was turned down was done by either a stupid bot or a very uninformed member of staff
An example of a stupid and useless Amazon bot last week
I ordered a work lamp
Amazon stated on their portal that it had got lost and did I want to cancel or reorder
Portal insisted I engage with said stupid bot whose solution was to offer to send me a link to return the lamp it knew I had never received in the first place
A human did sort it out and gave me a fiver for my trouble