[NSW] - Blitz on Fare Evasion

["David Bennetts" <davibenn@ozemail.com.au>]

Here we go again - CityRail have announced another blitz on fare evaders,
who are reputed to be costing the system $27 million a year.  Another 60
revenue protection officers are to be employed, and $100 on the spot fines
will be imposed on those who have boarded trains without purchasing a
ticket.  Of course those who board at stations without ticket machines, or
those where ticket machines aren't working and staff aren't on duty to sell
tickets, will be let off and allowed to purchased tickets at their
destination.

Of course CityRail are aware that their revenue protection falls down on a
number of counts -  a lot of fare evaders are aware of the stations without
machines, or those where machines are almost perpetually out of order, and
will say that they boarded at such a station.  Also false names and/or
addresses are given to revenue protection officers, with the result that a
very low percentage of offenders are actually prosecuted.

The former situation of stations without machines could be resolved by
installing machines on Endeavour trains (which serve many such unattended
stations) just like Melbourne trams, and also selling tickets on a
commission basis by local businesses in the vicinity of such stations.  The
latter needs some revision in the law to allow identity to be established -
this is a very thorny area (remember the Australia card?), but unless
something is done, evasion will continue to hit CityRail revenue.

Regards

David Bennetts