c2c to clamp down on fare dodgers
20 June 2006
c2c to clamp down on fare dodgers
Following the announcement by the Transport Minister, Tony McNulty, that fare dodgers on the railways will in future be subject to a minimum penalty fare of £20.00 - double the existing fine, c2c will be implementing the new penalty from Monday 23 May.
The £10 penalty fare, in force until 22 May, has not proved a sufficient deterrent to persistent fare dodgers who routinely seek to travel without buying a ticket. This meant that honest passengers were in effect subsidising fare dodgers. An extensive consultation exercise was carried out, following which agreement was reached that the minimum penalty should be £20.
Route Director Leila Frances said: "My honest passengers have nothing to worry about from the new penalty fare. Only those who seek to defraud the railway need be concerned and I hope that a £20 penalty will make people think twice before boarding one of my trains without paying the appropriate fare. After all why should one person pay while someone else thinks they should be able to travel for nothing."