Fox Slams Mayor on Bus Fare Evasion (Islington Liberal Democrats)

Islington Liberal Democrats <Islington_ld@cix.co.uk>

Fox Slams Mayor on Bus Fare Evasion

February 1, 2005 12:54 PM

Transport campaigner Bridget Fox has reacted with concern to news that Ken Livingstone and Transport for London are proposing to introduce 'bendy buses' on route 38 through Islington, as ticket fraud issues on route 73 have still not been addressed.

Bridget says,

"We already know that ticket fraud on buses and tubes costs honest Londoners over £80M a year - with fares rising above inflation on top. The bendy buses - with their open boarding and no ticket inspectors - are a crime scene on wheels. "

Last year an Evening Standard reporter spent 10 hours on the 73 route between Essex Road and Angel, Islington. Despite making 67 journeys he was not once asked to show his ticket. On at least three journeys the Oyster card machine was out of order. On five attempts to board at the front to show his ticket, the entry remained shut and he was told to use the other doors.

Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show fare dodgers have clocked up more than 150 million journeys on London's public transport network since Mayor Ken Livingstone came to power.

Bridget and the Liberal Democrats are asking TfL to:

re-think the inflation-busting fare rises take action to stamp out fare evasion instead get the smartcard readers working & have more bus conductors to help double the penalty fare to discourage rip-off riders.

The Facts

The figures have been taken from Mayoral Answers and Transport for London Statistics. Links and reference are shown below. The fare evasion rate has been taken at a constant of 2.2% over the last 4 ½ years.

In a letter to Lib Dem Assembly Member Lynne Featherstone of the 3rd November 2004, Peter Hendy, Managing Director of Surface Transport for Transport for London states:- "London buses annual fare evasion survey indicates average fare evasion at 2.2%" The Assembly answer on fare evasion rate is taken from a Mayoral Written Answer:-

Q: What do you estimate the rate of fare evasion to be on bendy buses and what is being done to minimise this? What proportion of revenue protection officers' time is dedicated to bendy buses?

A: Currently, 83% of bus passengers pre-pay for their bus travel. The current detected fare evasion rate for services across the network is running at between 1.5% - 2%, with some sections of routes obviously producing rates either side of the average.

Check rates vary across all bus routes, depending on the fraud levels observed. This applies equally to those routes operated with articulated buses. These routes are checked mainly by Revenue Protection Inspectors (RPI) working in groups to ensure that TfL better identify fare evaders. Checks are also conducted using Inspectors in plain clothes. The proportion of Inspector's time varies depending on the strategy outlined above. However there is currently additional resource dedicated to articulated buses as they are introduced to ensure passengers understand and adhere to the fare payment system.