|
Metro operator Nexus prosecuted 425 people throughout October for riding the system without tickets and failing to pay the penalty fare, netting fines and costs totalling more than £53,000. The 425, from across Tyneside and Wearside, must now pay much stiffer fines of up to £500 and have a criminal record. Their names have been added to ‘name and shame’ posters displayed prominently on the Metro system. Metro Director, Mick Carbro, said: “Fare evasion makes no sense and avoiding the £20 penalty fare results in a court appearance, which just makes matters even worse, all for the sake of buying a Metro ticket. “Our current success in combating prolific fare cheats has enabled us to get more of these offenders before the courts and given much stiffer penalties.” Nexus has made huge strides in the battle against fare dodging on the Metro, driving a million fraudsters off the system over the last 12 months. The figures, released by Nexus, show the number of fraudulent journeys per year on Metro fell from 3.1 million in the year to March 2005 to 2.1 million in the year to March 2006. It is estimated this costs Metro around £1m a year in lost revenue. Nexus has adopted a more pro-active anti-fraud strategy with more frequent targeted ticket inspections at stations and on board trains. Ticket inspectors working hours have been increased by 50 percent to turn the screw even further on the cheats. Metro employs a private contractor, St James Security, to provide revenue control staff.
Metro’s own Travel Support Officers, who patrol the system into the night, and Northumbria Police officers, also check tickets. In May 2005 the penalty fare went up from £10 to £20 and Nexus says this has also deterred more people from riding the system without a ticket.
|
