Article: QR hit by fake ticket scam

[ozbob]

From Sunday Mail 24 Feb 2008  not on-line

QR hit by fake ticket scam

QR hit by fake ticket scam

Darrell Giles
POLITICAL EDITOR

QUEENSLAND railway squad police are investigating a ticket scam where high-quality long-term tickets are printed on home computers.

The fake yearly, six- monthly and monthly paper tickets have fooled transit officers, costing Queensland Rail thousands of dollars.

Transport Minister John Mickel, who will launch the controversial "go card" smart ticket system at Brisbane's Central Station tomorrow, has called on QR staff to be more vigilant, saying:

"It is fraud these people are cheating."

The State Government recently introduced a new paper stock for train tickets, featuring a slim plastic film cover, in a bid to beat the counterfeiters.

Police said they thought they had smashed a fake ticket ring operating out of a Brisbane CBD business. A woman had been printing tickets at home and selling them to her work colleagues.
Police executed a search warrant and traced the recipients through emails.

Two people have appeared in court and been convicted of fare evasion. One was fined $250 and ordered to pay QR $180, while the other was fined $300 with $315 restitution.
Railway squad Acting Inspector Wayne Hutchings said inquiries were continuing into the person alleged to have produced the fake tickets.

Yearly tickets on the Citytrain Network cost between $800 and $1000.

Insp Hutchings said the tickets were extremely good quality and were not obvious if simply waved in front of a transit officer.

QR staff had been asked to give details to police.

A source told The Sunday Mail last week the scam had not stopped despite police investigations.

"Whenever an annual ticket is flashed, encased in a wallet, the inspector would not notice that the ticket was not genuine," the informant said.

"More care should be taken in their manufacture and there should be a thorough inspection."
The Sunday Mail revealed last week that fare evaders cost TransLink about $10 million a year.

A recent blitz resulted in 2200 people being given $150 fines or warnings.

Mr Mickel said staff would be asked to "step up" ticket inspection. But he said the new go card would beat the cheats.

Opposition transport spokesman Tim Nicholls has urged a government review of the go card system, claiming that many commuters had experienced frustration in the initial rollout.

[ozbob]

Mr Mickel said staff would be asked to "step up" ticket inspection. But he said the new go card would beat the cheats.

Not sure if the Go card is going to beat all the cheats.  Certainly another indication though as to the probable longevity of periodical tickets.

Hope these people get caught as it is a serious fraud, and impacts on all rail users.

[Derwan]

This has been happening for years.  All you need is a scanner, image editor (MS Paint will do) and a colour printer.  Perhaps it is being used as ammunition to remove the option of monthly (or longer) tickets in favour of the Go Card.

Mr Mickel's statement is interesting.  You cannot beat the cheats while the tickets are still available.  The only way the Go Card could beat the cheats is if the option of the monthlies (etc) was removed altogether.  The longer term plan becomes obvious with this statement.

I'm all for the removal of monthlies and even weeklies - but only if the Go Card fare system is reasonable.

[ozbob]

Timely report in Victoria of fare rorting ...

See --> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=545.0

[mufreight]

Obviously this will be played up to justify the removal of such tickets and force everyone to use the Go cards, forget about the cheats, it will also force Mr average law abiding commuter to use the inequitable fare structure of the Go card and thus boost revenue.
Neat.  Mr Average commuter is dammed if he does and walking if he doesnt.
and Mr Mickel will save another couple of million knowing that most will have no choice but to cough up.

[mufreight]

A free to ride public transport system would solve the problem and possibly overall save money, raise taxes by 1%     to pay for it and see how many cars that gets off the roads, it could even end up as a less costly system overall.
No Ticket sales staff,
No Ticket Inspectors
No Go Card as such
about a 1/3 less staff at Translink polishing seats
No ticket cheats.
Free travel for Seniors (and everyone else as well)
The concept is a little radical perhaps but it is as practical an answer as some that have been proposed by the beauracy and no doubt less absurd
Ask your local member and give him/her your views.