Article: Cheats by the million

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Cheats by the million

Cheats by the million
Article from: Sunday Herald Sun

Stephen Drill

March 08, 2009 12:00am

FARE evaders on public transport cheated Victoria out of more than $212 million in four years - enough to pay for 10 new trains.

An internal government document - obtained under Freedom of Information laws - reveals the lines with the least and most fare evasion.

Metlink's Fare Evasion survey 2007-08 shows that between July 1, 2004 and June 30 last year fare evaders cost $212,801,483.

It reveals more than 34 million of the 445.2 million trips taken each year are not paid for.

In eight million of the unpaid trips fare evaders ran from ticket inspectors.

Commuters are divided on fare evasion, with some saying public transport should be free because of sub-standard services. Others are annoyed fellow travellers are ripping them off.

Frankston train line passengers are the biggest fare dodgers in Melbourne, with more than one in 10 failing to buy a ticket.

Upfield and Craigieburn passengers are the most honest, with only 3 per cent caught without tickets.

Commenting on the report, Andrew Goff, 31, of Windsor, said it was sometimes quicker to walk home from Flinders St station than wait for delayed trains.

"Public transport should be free - it would be good for the environment. The service is so far beyond a joke now people should not have to pay," he said.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder warned fare evasion would continue when the Myki ticketing system came in because outer suburban stations would not have barriers to force people to scan their tickets.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said the only way to reduce fare evasion was to staff stations.

Metlink chief executive Bernie Carolan said that while the amount of fare evasion was still high, it had dropped from 12.5 per cent in 2005-06 to 7.7 per cent last financial year.

He did not support an increase in ticket inspectors.

Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said she supported campaigns against fare evasion and in the past two years ticket gates had been built at South Yarra and Box Hill stations.