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Metro operator Nexus caught 190 people riding the system without tickets during a two-day blitz at Jesmond and West Jesmond Metro stations in Newcastle. Ticket examiners conducted inspections on October 16 and October 20 as part of their routine patrol of the Metro network. All of those who were caught were given the standard £20 penalty fare notice and have 21 days in which to pay, otherwise they face a fine of up to £500, a court appearance and a criminal record. Metro Director, Mick Carbro, said: “We are determined to get tough on fare evasion and build on our recent success in driving the cheats off our system. “People who seem to think they can get away without buying a ticket are sadly mistaken and the success of our regular ticket inspections proves that.” Nexus is stepping up ticket inspections in the centre of Newcastle in the run up to Christmas. The frequency of inspections is to be increased on board all trains and at stations within the central areas of Newcastle and Sunderland. This will also increase the number of staff on the system during evenings in the lead up to the festive period. This latest crackdown on fare dodging is all part of a pro-active anti-fraud strategy, including checks surrounding football matches and major events and regular blitzes across the system. This campaign has seen fraudulent journeys cut by a million in a one year period, down from 3.1 million in the year to March 2005 to 2.1 million in the year to March 2006. With nearly 36 million passengers journeys on Metro over the last year this demonstrates that fare dodging is low for what is an ‘open’ system, without automated barriers. Metro bosses are determined to keep up the good work with a rolling programme of blitzes by inspectors at stations across the system.
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