Re: [NSW] - Blitz on Fare Evasion

[Marvin The Martian <"choochoo"@spin.net.au (nospam)>]

No matter what they do smart fare evaders will get away with it, the only ones
they will catch are the ones who are late for there train etc.

David Bennetts wrote:

> 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