Request ID: FOI-2674-2223 Date published: 15 February 2023
You asked
Follow-on from FOI-2304-2223:
I was wondering if you would be able to provide the information on how many penalty fares and behavioural offences were issued from 2018 until the most recent 12-month period, broken down annually?
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-2674-2223 Thank you for your request received on 23 January 2023 asking for further information about fines issued on the London Underground.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we hold some of the information you require. You asked for:
Information on how many penalty fares and behavioural offences were issued from 2018 until the most recent 12-month period, broken down annually? Please find the requested information in the tables below. Please note that the figures for 2020/21 were affected by the pandemic, when ridership on the TfL network at times fell to five per cent of pre pandemic levels. During this time, Revenue Officers were mainly focused on the priority of supporting face covering compliance activity.
The penalty fare is one of several tools available to minimise revenue loss and deter individuals from committing fare evasion. Penalty Fare Notices are issued in lieu of initiating a criminal prosecution following fare evasion, in circumstances where the offender is considered not to have deliberately set out to avoid the fare due. Fare evasion is a criminal offence that could lead to a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record.
Penalty Fares
Financial Year
P1
P2
P3
P4
P5
P6
P7
P8
P9
P10
P11
P12
P13
Total
2018/19
2640
1729
1947
2171
1723
1907
1950
1990
1622
695
1590
2014
2429
24407
2019/20
1400
1630
1647
1686
1428
1402
1809
1669
1322
581
1694
1316
770
18354
2020/21
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
27
43
0
0
0
70
2021/22
240
511
458
533
465
446
586
798
495
195
592
567
975
5886
2022/23
1030
1065
529
913
569
641
1089
885
897
338
N/A
N/A
N/A
7956
Behavioural offences are not recorded prior to 2021, as this offence category is used by Operations Officers in the Transport Support & Enforcement functions (TSEOs). Prior to their creation, byelaw offences were enforced by the British Transport Police.
Behavioural Offences
Financial Year
P1
P2
P3
P4
P5
P6
P7
P8
P9
P10
P11
P12
P13
Total
2021/22
26
48
28
2
2
5
18
4
16
12
19
7
17
204
2022/23
27
29
46
63
89
54
55
94
97
56
N/A
N/A
N/A
610
If this is not the information you are looking for please feel free to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Gemma Jacob Senior FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
