Request ID: FOI-1949-2324 Date published: 05 October 2023
You asked
11.9..23 clarified request:
Each station keeps a log book of people pushing through underground barriers and not paying fares I have witnessed this and tried citizens arrest without success So
1 what is the estimate of lost fares per year per line for the last 5 years
2 Do you look at the log books of the tube stations showing units of those pushing open the barrier
3 What is estimate of lost fares per year for the DLR line for the last 5 years
4 How much does it cost to reinforce barriers on the tube so that they cannot be pushed open
5 Why are photos of these thieves not put up at stations on another point ,
6 What is the budget for the new big brother system measuring and charging each vehicle for the mileage covered. please send me costs and expected income b
7 why are there no pollution meters in Chase Side Southgate N14
8 What is the increased travelling time by bus to Barnet and N Middx hospital and to Wood Green station from Southgate Station since the cycle lanes and LTNs were instituted
9 Why under health and safety regulations cannot you switch of unnecessary lighting at so many stations during bright sunlight.
We answered
TfL Ref: 1949-2324 Thank you for your clarified request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 11 September 2023 asking for information about fare evasion and bus data. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. We take fare evasion extremely seriously and our team of 450 revenue inspectors operate across our network day and night, using new technology and intelligence to identify anyone travelling without the correct ticket or payment for the journey they are making. We penalise and prosecute thousands of fare evaders every year, and we push for the toughest penalties for anyone caught fare evading on our services. Fare evasion takes away vital revenue for us to reinvest in our transport network to keep London moving. We have a multi-pronged strategy in place to reduce the risk of fare evasion and have set a target to bring the level of fare evasion below 1.5%. Our strategy includes elements of ticketing technology and gateline information to deter and detect fare evaders. Our station staff provide insight and information about fare evaders and persistent offenders to our enforcement and investigations teams to take action. We deploy enforcement teams to locations where people push through gates and create an intimidating atmosphere for gateline staff and customers. Efforts to tackle fare evasion have been helped by changes to the way we manage our stations, with more staff visible in and around stations including on gate lines. Our advice to our staff is not to challenge fare evaders if there is a risk of work-related violence, but to report and that information is acted on by Police and our enforcement teams. Fare evasion is a criminal offence that could lead to a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record. Last year there were over 18,000 offences reported by our revenue teams for possible prosecution. Your questions and our replies to your specific questions are as follows: 1 what is the estimate of lost fares per year per line for the last 5 years
This information, at Tube line level, is exempt from disclosure under section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act, which can apply where release of information would be likely to prejudice the prevention of crime, or to prejudice the apprehension or prosecution of offenders. This is because the release of this information (or similar information in relation to other areas) would reveal locations where enforcement activity is less likely to be implemented and may therefore encourage people to attempt fare evasion at those locations. Whilst we make no suggestion that you would use this information for anything other than your own interest, the disclosure of information under FOI is regarded as a disclosure to the public at large.
The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the ‘public interest test’ to determine whether the greater public interest rests in the exemption applying and the information being withheld, or in releasing it in any event. We recognise the need for openness and transparency by public authorities and the fact that you have requested the information is in itself an argument for release. However, in this instance we feel that balance of public interest lies in favour of withholding the information to help protect our fare revenue.
3 What is estimate of lost fares per year for the DLR line for the last 5 years Please see the information in the table below:
4 How much does it cost to reinforce barriers on the tube so that they cannot be pushed open We do not currently hold this information – we are currently exploring with our gateline supplier to trial changes to the wide aisle gate to reduce the likelihood of fare evasion through this gate whilst still offering safe access for people with reduced mobility, luggage and customers travelling with young children.
5 Why are photos of these thieves not put up at stations on another point Within the TfL Conditions of Carriage we set out that CCTV images are recorded for the purposes of the prevention and detection of crime (including fare evasion), protecting property and infrastructure, incident management, legal proceedings and public safety. Images (and where held, audio recordings) of alleged offenders may be passed to the police and be used in a court of law. We currently do not share photos of fare evaders publicly in stations. As part of our Revenue Protection Programme we keep our approach under constant review and we continue to work with our policing partners who share images publicly for the purposes of detection of crime. Our Conditions of Carriage is here: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/terms-and-conditions/ticketing-and-travel-conditions-of-carriage 6 What is the budget for the new big brother system measuring and charging each vehicle for the mileage covered. please send me costs and expected income We do not hold this information as we don't have a charge per mile scheme. 7 why are there no pollution meters in Chase Side Southgate N14 We don't install air quality meters - you may want to look at the London Datastore website for more information on this: https://data.london.gov.uk/ 8 What is the increased travelling time by bus to Barnet and N Middx hospital and to Wood Green station from Southgate Station since the cycle lanes and LTNs were instituted This information is available in our published bus timeteables which include information on the travelling time between stops, along with the information in the following links: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/buses-performance-data and https://tfl.gov.uk/forms/14144.aspx 9 Why under health and safety regulations cannot you switch of unnecessary lighting at so many stations during bright sunlight Trust to receive answers to these questions the above which is only the tip of the iceberg for my Mayor and TFL emails sent over several years Please be aware that, under the FOI Act, we do not have to answer a request if it would require the creation of new information or the provision of a judgement, explanation, advice or opinion that was not already recorded at the time of the request. On this basis, this question does not fall under the FOI Act. If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed. Yours sincerely Sara Thomas FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
