{"id":14250,"date":"2024-02-23T04:37:49","date_gmt":"2024-02-22T18:37:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=14250"},"modified":"2024-02-23T04:37:49","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T18:37:49","slug":"fare-evasion-on-trams-falls-by-a-third-as-part-of-crackdown-by-metrolink","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=14250","title":{"rendered":"Fare evasion on trams falls by a third as part of crackdown by Metrolink"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fare evasion on Greater Manchester\u2019s tram network has fallen by a third as part of an ongoing crackdown by Metrolink<\/a> with support from the TravelSafe Partnership.<\/p>\n

With more\u00a0KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM)\u00a0staff carrying out ticket inspections,\u00a0fare evasion\u00a0has fallen from over 16 per cent in July 2023 to\u00a010.6 per cent in January 2024.<\/p>\n

Five million tickets are inspected every year \u2013 up from four million \u2013 with Metrolink\u00a0fining\u00a0100,000 fare evaders\u00a0in the past year, while taking a\u00a0further 5,000\u00a0people to\u00a0court over unpaid fines.<\/p>\n

A new plan to tackle fare evasion on Metrolink was introduced in\u00a0October\u00a0last year. This included increasing the penalty fare from \u00a3100 to \u00a3120 and recruiting an additional 50 customer service representatives (CSRs) to bring the total number of frontline staff to 169 across the network.<\/p>\n

CSRs\u00a0have\u00a0also\u00a0received\u00a0new revenue inspection devices\u00a0to help them\u00a0identify persistent fare evaders, according to a\u00a0report\u00a0to the Bee Network Committee.<\/p>\n

As a result of this new approach Metrolink is on target to generate an extra \u00a32 million in net revenue per year, all of which will be reinvested back into the network for the benefit of all passengers.<\/p>\n

Danny Vaughan, TfGM\u2019s Head of Metrolink, said: \u201cFare evasion is something we take very seriously and while most people who travel by tram do so legally by purchasing a ticket, there are some who continue to think the rules do not apply to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince implementing\u00a0our new plan to tackle fare evasion last year,\u00a0we\u2019re seeing hugely\u00a0positive results. We have more people than ever checking tickets, and that higher visibility not only provides a deterrent to those ignoring the rules but also\u00a0helps provide that reassurance to passengers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Damien Chabas, Managing Director of\u00a0KAM, said: \u201cI am incredibly proud of our staff on the frontline who are making a real difference in tackling fare evasion on Metrolink.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that our customers have welcomed the increased staff presence, which has also helped us\u00a0grow patronage to pre-Covid levels.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there is still plenty of work to do, and that is why KAM is working closely with TfGM to see how we can build on what we\u2019ve achieved so that fare compliance can continue to improve.<\/p>\n

In the year to 6th\u00a0January 2024, CSRs issued 67,545 penalty fares for fare evasion \u2013 up from the previous year\u2019s 54,156.<\/p>\n

Since\u00a0April 2019\u00a0more than 210,000 penalty fares have been issued to people travelling without a ticket.<\/p>\n

CSRs\u00a0are supported by police through the TravelSafe Partnership, which also includes Transport for Greater Manchester,\u00a0operators\u00a0and other agencies.<\/p>\n

The role of the TravelSafe Partnership is to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour, and to reassure passengers that they can travel safely. Officers dedicate more than 5,000 hours per week patrolling the Metrolink and bus networks, day and night, seven days a week.<\/p>\n

Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: \u201cThese results show that we are making significant progress in tackling fare evasion head on.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy increasing the number of staff out on the Metrolink network, and introducing improved ticket checking technology,\u00a0we are sending a clear message: if you travel on Metrolink without paying, there\u2019s a real chance you\u2019ll be fined up to \u00a3120 and could be prosecuted. It\u2019s simply not worth the risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe plan to protect revenue across Metrolink and buses will continue to be a real focus for us so that we can reinvest in building the Bee Network and improving transport services for the people\u00a0and businesses of Greater Manchester.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to thank everyone at Metrolink, TfGM, bus operators and the TravelSafe Partnership for all their hard work in tackling fare evasion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo credit: Transport for Greater Manchester<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fare evasion on Greater Manchester\u2019s tram network has fallen by a third as part of an ongoing crackdown by Metrolink with support from the TravelSafe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":14251,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[7,11],"class_list":["post-14250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rail-news","tag-transport","tag-usa"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t