Request ID: FOI-4793-2324 Date published: 24 April 2024
You asked
There is no updated audit report for fare evasion, with details such as, what are the measures in place? What was the fare evasion numbers in 2023 year end as compared to 2022. What has caused the increase in fare evasion, what are the additional measures put in and what are the existing measures that are not working as expected.
The last available report is dated 2010.
Would you kindly make the same available?
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-4793-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on28 March 2024 asking for information about fare evasion. 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.
Please see the below recently published response which provides fare evasion figures, provided in financial years from the 1 April to 31 March for 2022/23 and 1 April to 2 March 2023/24:
The safety and security report is no longer produced.
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 a ticket. We push for the toughest penalties for anyone caught fare evading on our services. Fare evasion takes away vital revenue from us investing more in our transport network to keep London moving. 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 and changes to our ticketing system.
The Mayor has also approved an increase to the penalty fare on all TfL services from £80 to £100, reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days. The penalty fare increase came in on 3 March. This follows the Department for Transport's decision to increase the penalty fare to £100 across National Rail. This will ensure that there are clear and consistent rules and penalties across the different transport networks in London, and that the penalty fare remains an effective deterrent and that the costs of fare evasion are more effectively absorbed by those who deliberately fail to pay. The penalty fare is one of several tools available to minimise this revenue loss and deter individuals from committing fare evasion. Penalty Fares are issued in lieu of initiating a criminal prosecution following fare evasion, where the evader is not suspected of fraudulent, deliberate, and repeated fare evasion. Fare evasion is a criminal offence that could lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record. 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.
Yours sincerely,
Mary Abidakun FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
