Thursday, August 24, 2006

1 in 8 bus passengers are fare dodgers

Ken's bendy buses have increased fare evasion on one London route (Ilford to Oxford Circus) to the point that 1 in 8 passengers has an invalid ticket. Most people have been aware for some time of the problem of people just getting on the back of bendy buses and then jumping off again without swiping their card. However, since Ken got rid of the Routemasters which had conductors without increasing the level of ticket inspection it's hardly a surprise that far dodging is so rife.

1 comment:

Croydonian said...

It is a tad similar in these parts, with the tram system being accessed by ticket or oyster card. The tram stops are unmanned and there is no conductor or equivalent on the trams. Instead there are occasional attempts to swamp a stop / and or tram with a horde of Securicor uniformed ticket checkers.

Being a law abiding type, I pay my way, but in my use of the tram system I have not been checked even so often as in one in ten journeys. I do not doubt that plenty of users have calculated the cost of a pentalty fare - £20 on the nose - relative to that of buying a ticket / Oystering each journey.