Transport for London officers issued a record-high number of fines for fare evasion during the summer, new figures have revealed.
A Freedom of Information request revealed that between June 22 and July 19, 6,080 fines were issued to individuals travelling without a valid ticket.
The figure reflects a 20% increase since the previous year, when the number of fines during the same month was 5,078.
This follows the company’s decision to raise the fare evasion fee from £80 to £100 in March last year.
Transport for London has stated that their standard fine for fare evasion is £100, which is reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days.
Fines for fare evasion are issued upon a travelling passenger’s failure to present a valid ticket or a payment method when tapping in on the Underground or trains in London.
The Londoners spoke to London residents about their experiences of being fined for fare evasion, which suggested that some faced feelings of discomfort during their interactions with TfL officers, as well as a lack of information provided about the appeal process.
Annabel C, who received her fine in Earlsfield, said: “My experience with the TfL officers was very intense. I was escorted off the train and was made to feel like a criminal when the officer read out the police caution to me.
“Because the platforms were quiet, it felt intimidating with two men around me and no one else in sight.
“It took over four weeks for any kind of notice or letter to arrive at my address, and when one did come, it had no information on how much I would be paying.”
The highest number of fines issued by officers this summer reflects an approximately 261% increase from the lowest monthly total, which was 1,682 fines in March 2022.
An anonymous individual who had legal action taken against him over not paying the correct ticket fare at Bond Street, said: “The outcome and fines given to me were fair, however the fact that with majority of the cases that end up in court, that date is many months later.
“For an emotionally struggling person that four or five month wait can seriously hinder their mental health.”
The majority of those interviewed for this article stated that they understood why they received the fine, although the appeal process was not always clearly explained to them.
Josh T, who received his fine in Chelsfield, said: “I was aware of the appeal process because I had appealed fines in the past. All of the ones I’ve appealed, I’ve had written off, but this time, it was especially difficult to prove what the officer had told me in person.”
Fines are primarily issued to offset the lost revenue resulting from unpaid ticket fees, which reached more than £130m in 2023/2024.
Meanwhile, the average amount that could have been generated from fines in 2024 was £4.7m.
This means that TfL is still losing potentially £125m per year due to fare evasion, which could justify the record number of fines issued this year.
The title figure of more than six thousand monthly fines issued last summer reflects the highest number of fines ever issued by the company, which also dropped by 21% the following month, when 4,764 fines were issued.
However, a representative for the government Transport Committee said: “Fare evasion is not something the Committee has looked into since the Parliament started in the last year.”
An anonymous individual who had legal action taken against him for fare evasion said: “I feel my fine was fair and justified since revenue protection is imperative to companies, and if everyone fare evaded, then companies like TfL would go bust very quickly as it loses them millions.”
TfL is the key London transport provider, serving approximately 10.3 million people every day, but it loses millions of pounds every year.
A Transport for London report published in April 2024 indicates that the company aims to reduce fare evasion to below 1.5% by 2030, ensuring consistency across its transport networks.
Transport for London has been contacted for comment.
Featured Image: Magdalena Kanecka
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