Fare dodging is rife on Britain’s railways. “The last time this was looked at by the industry, there was around about £300m per annum going out of the industry because of fare-dodging,” Stephanie Tobyn of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) told The Independent ’s daily travel podcast . That works out at £600 per minute.
But people who mistakenly travel without a valid ticket are being treated too harshly, according to the rail watchdog. Transport Focus is urging train operators to implement a “yellow card” system for passengers caught without a ticket , giving them the benefit of the doubt on a first offence. Meanwhile Ms Tobyn of the ORR is calling for evidence from passengers who have been given a Penalty Fare or actually prosecuted for travelling without a ticket.
“We want to look at people who accidentally find themselves in this position and then end up with a criminal record,” she says. The moves follow cases of users being prosecuted and fined heavily after inadvertently breaching railcard rules . These are the key questions and answers.
The standard paper ticket, as issued by booking offices and ticket machines, is still common. But a 21st-century ticket can take many more forms than in the Victorian era, including: The basic principle is set down in the Regulation of Railways Act 1889. On request by a staff member, the rail passenger is required to produce “a ticket showing that his fare is paid”.
The rather more modern National Rail Conditions o.
