Request ID: FOI-3314-2223 Date published: 13 March 2023
You asked
Hi. How many fare dodgers have been apprehended and fined for fare evasion at Enfield Town Station in the last 6 months. I witness a blatant fare evader on 9/10 journeys I make, when exiting Enfield Town. If you check the log of my journey times and corresponding Cctv you will be able to see how regular this is. Shocking to think how often I witness this during one journey out of hundreds of thousands across your network and how rife fare evasion is, so I'm interested to know how many you catch. Thanks
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-3314-2223
Thank you for your request of 2nd March 2023 asking for information about fare evasion at Enfield Town station.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked:
“How many fare dodgers have been apprehended and fined for fare evasion at Enfield Town Station in the last 6 months?”
I can confirm that we hold the information you require. However, I am afraid that this information 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.
In this instance the exemption has been applied as providing the information you have asked for - or similar information that people may request in respect of other stations - 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. Whilst we make no suggestion that this is the purpose of your request, when considering FOI requests we must consider that disclosure is considered to be to the world at large rather than the individual applicant.
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.
Note that we take fare evasion extremely seriously and our team of revenue inspectors operate across our network day and night, using new technology and intelligence to identify anyone travelling without a ticket. Through continued partnership working with the police and intelligence gathering we will push for the toughest penalties for anyone caught fare evading on our services. Fare evasion takes away vital revenue for us to reinvest into our transport network to keep London moving. We have strategies in place to tackle fare evasion head on and a commitment to reduce any form of ticketing irregularities. 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.
The penalty fare is one of several tools available to minimise this 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.
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,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
