Article: Commuters hit with fines for Translink breaches

[ozbob]

From Brisbane mX via Courier Mail click here!

Commuters hit with fines for Translink breaches

Commuters hit with fines for Translink breaches
Article from: MX

Ursula Heger of mX

October 22, 2008 02:00pm

MORE than 77 commuters a week are being fined and warned by TransLink which reaps $500,000 a year from the infringements.

Figures released to mX show more than 1600 people have been issued with a fine by TransLink's transit officers or police over the past six months.

A further 236 were given warnings over their behaviour.

Nuisance offences include eating, drinking or smoking on public transport, as well as graffiti, vandalism or harassing other passengers.

The figures suggest TransLink is bringing in more than $500,000 annually from nuisance fines.

But that's a small amount compared to the $3 million-plus earned every year from almost 21,000 fines for fare evasion.

mX revealed last month that transit officers catch about 133 commuters for fare evasion on the CityRail network each day, with only 56 issued with fines.

In contrast to nuisance offences, more fare evaders are let off with warnings than issued with fines.

TransLink Transport Authority spokesman Adam Nicholson said transit officers were able to use discretion when issuing fines for nuisance offences.

"While these breaches are obviously not in the same league as criminal offences like assault, they are still a nuisance to passengers and are not acceptable behaviour," he said.

"Transit officers are also able to issue warnings at their discretion, instead of fines."

Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said transit officers should only give a fine if a warning for the nuisance offence was given first.

"There is a precedent for fare evasion, and you would think for minor nuisance offences it would be fare to give a warning first, and fine in the future if you breach again," he said.

"They have a warning policy for fare evasion which is more serious than a minor nuisance offence."

The government recently moved to allow the courts to impose bans of up to two years for passengers who repeatedly avoid paying fares or for high-level "nuisance offences" such as graffiti, assault or refusing an order to put out a cigarette in a no-smoking area.

[ozbob]

The problem with edited comments is that they can sometimes lose context. 
So some further clarification as the some folks have problems separating message from messenger .... 


Submitted to mX 23 October 2008

For the record I regularly travel on our Citytrains,  normally several times daily.  I am well aware of the problems with so called nuisance offences. Clearly some mX readers cannot grasp the message. Why is it OK to warn fare evaders but not some one who may in all innocence have a sip of water on train?  I was simply highlighting this major inconsistency, a zero tolerance policy should include fare evasion.  Fare evasion is an act of fraud, a sip of water is a long way removed from fraud.  Gravy train tours include refreshments.  No wonder some people feel a little aggrieved.  With the constant failures of the air conditioning on the trains we will see dehydration as the next commuter crisis?  Or will passengers, covertly sip water bottles risking the wrath of TTOs and $100 fines?

[Otto]

There are people who use PT and must carry water or sugar drinks for medical reasons, and who may need to drink whilst using PT. I would hope that TTOs have been made aware of this.

[brismike]

Water is fine . . I don't think anyone would have a problem with that. But eating burgers, chips, hot dogs etc is a no no. People doing that should be fined. They know the rules but just flagrantly disregard them. Let them pay the price.

[ozbob]

From Brisbane mX  21st November 2008 page 1

No such thing as free ride