Hard facts on recent "fare evasion" crackdown

[Mozz]

From Brisbanetimes click here!

"More than 2100 rail commuters have been hit with fines and warnings for travelling without train tickets in Brisbane in one month.

Since Queensland Rail began a crackdown on fare evaders on January 9, Translink has issued 207 on-the-spot $150 fines and issued more than 1780 warnings."

From where I sit these figures tend to indicate what we have been saying on this forum - that most people who are found without a ticket on a train are not "fare evading criminals" but people who fall into the category of warranting a "warning" for travelling without a valid ticket.

Ed:  link edited  admin

[ozbob]

Thanks Mozz,  indeed.

[ozbob]

From Sunday Mail click here!

Crackdown on fare evasion

Crackdown on fare evasion
Article from: The Sunday Mail (Qld)

Darrell Giles

February 16, 2008 11:00pm

"I'M SO sorry, but I lost my train ticket in the toilet!"
Queensland Rail has revealed the outrageous excuses some adult commuters are offering to evade paying fares.

More than 2200 non-ticket-holders have been hit with fines or warnings in a fare evasion blitz that began on January 9 across the QR Citytrain network.

Those turning up at the reverse ticket window have told transit officers they lost their ticket in the toilet, left it in the car, with their partner, or it was damaged and had to be thrown out.
What's your weirdest excuse?

One fare cheat claimed he had left his wallet in a bag in a shipping container on the Gold Coast and his car had broken down, so he couldn't retrieve it until the next week.

About 500 on-the-spot $150 fines have been issued since the crackdown began.

Fare evaders cost TransLink about $10 million a year.

"Fare evasion is really unfair on the people who do the right thing . . . this is a reminder to passengers that they must ensure they have enough time and spare change to buy a valid ticket before they board a train," Transport Minister John Mickel said.

"Anyone travelling on Citytrain services who approaches the reverse ticket window without a valid reason for not buying a ticket risks being hit with a $150 fine.

"Unfortunately the figures indicate not everyone is heeding the warning and transit officers will remain out in force."

A recent Citytrain fare evasion survey found almost one in 10 passengers cheated.

Fare evasion was most common during weekends and off-peak periods. About 15 per cent of passengers checked on weekends did not have a valid ticket.

The Beenleigh and Nambour lines had the highest level, followed by Cleveland and Shorncliffe. The most honest commuters travelled the Ferny Grove, Rosewood and Ipswich lines.

Some commuters said there was no incentive to buy tickets because there appeared to be a lack of ticket collectors on trains or at stations. But Mr Mickel disputed those claims, and warned that the State Government was recruiting more transit officers for this specific purpose.

"QR maintains a team of 110 transit officers who tackle fare evasion on the Citytrain network in addition to providing customer assistance and a security presence. They are uniformed and highly visible."

Mr Mickel said all train services were subject to random patrols by transit officers, police and private security guards.

[mufreight]

One must ask why passangers are being booked for fare evasion when they are fronting up at the reverse ticket window to purchase a ticket.
The officers doing that could be better occupied as a flying squad carrying out random blanket ticket checks on passangers exiting unmaned stations, but then that might get some of the smarties who get a single zone ticket to travel through the city where the stations are manned.
SO WHY Mr Mickel.

[Derwan]

One must ask why passangers are being booked for fare evasion when they are fronting up at the reverse ticket window to purchase a ticket.

Because then it would be easy to catch a train from the Gold Coast, Rosewood or even Nambour, then go to the ticket window and say, "I came from Auchenflower." 

Taking Nambour as an example, you'd save $10 on a single ticket - or over $60 on a weekly.  Of course you'd be running the risk of being caught on the train, but considering the savings, you'd have to get caught at least once every three weeks to be out of pocket.

Reverse tickets should only be sold with a valid reason and proof of residency.  The rest should be fined.

But at the same time, there are many station hoppers out in the suburbs who know they are unlikely to get caught - and there needs to be more Transit Officers on the trains and at suburban stations.