TfL Ref: 2452-2425
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 31 October 2024 asking for information about fare evasion.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy. You specifically asked:
How much did TFL raise from fines being issued for not touching in/out an Oyster or contactless payment card over the following years:
i. 2018/2019
ii. 2019/2020
iii. 2020/2021
iv. 2021/2022
v. 2022/2023
vi. 2023/2024 (or most recent data for this year)
This information should be made available to me in electronic form if possible in a spreadsheet or table. Please share the figures for each London train station.
We take fare evasion extremely seriously and our team of revenue inspectors provide a vital deterrent that influences the rate of fare evasion. Revenue inspectors operate across our network day and night, using new technology and intelligence to identify anyone travelling without a ticket. We take action against thousands of fare evaders every year. Fare evasion takes away vital revenue from us to reinvest in our transport network to keep London moving. Fare evaders are often intimidating or abusive to our colleagues and to our customers. The harm they cause is much greater than simply the missed cost of a ticket.
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%. Fare evasion is a criminal offence that could lead to a fine of up to £1,000.
I can confirm that we hold the information you require. However, I am afraid that this information broken down by individual station is exempt from disclosure under section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act, which applies where disclosure of information would, or would be likely to, prejudice the apprehension or prosecution of offenders or the exercise of functions for the purpose of ascertaining whether any person has failed to comply with the law. This is on the basis that information released under the Freedom of Information Act is deemed to be release to the public at large, rather than the individual applicant. Further rationale for the application of the exemption is given below.
In this instance the exemption has been applied as providing the information you have asked for would highlight where we focus our enforcement activities. To deter the risk of fare evasion it is important we convey to the public that ticket inspections can occur anywhere and at any time, so potential fare evaders are discouraged. Disclosing information which reveals where people are likely to be caught for fare evasion would be of value to fare evaders and therefore adversely affect our inspection activity and impact on our duties under Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act.
The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the “public interest test”, to determine whether the overall balance of public interest rests in the exemption applying or not. We recognise the need for openness and transparency by public authorities, and the fact you have requested the information is in itself an argument in favour of release. However, in this instance we feel that the balance of public interest lies in favour of withholding the information to ensure that we are able to carry out our inspection activity and to continue to discourage fare evaders from using our network, which in turn protects our revenue and by extension the public purse.
We have published a previously answered request for similar information but on an aggregated basis which can be found at the following link: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparency/freedom-of-information/foi-request-detail?referenceId=FOI-4536-2324
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
