FINES for fare-dodgers on Greater Manchester trams are rocketing by up to 900 per cent.
From next month, anyone caught without a valid ticket will be hit with a standard penalty of £100.
At the moment, the fine for a first offence is just £10 for those willing to pay on-the-spot. Transport chiefs said the crackdown - which starts on May 11 - was intended to send a strong message to cheats: buy a ticket or face the consequences.
The new system will mean a flat-rate fine for anyone caught without a ticket. The £100 penalty will be reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days.
Metrolink bosses currently use a complicated system of fines which depends how many times the offender has been caught in the past.
A first offence carries an on-the-spot fine of £10, or £15 if paid later. A second offence is £20 or £30, a third offence £40 or £60, and all subsequent offences £80.
The Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, which owns the Metrolink network, has launched an information campaign to alert people to the move.
Campaign
Posters have gone on display on trams and at stops. Leaflets are being handed out to passengers.
GMPTE's Metrolink director Philip Purdy said: "We take fare evasion very seriously. The vast majority of passengers make sure they have bought a valid ticket before travelling.
"They shouldn't have to travel with the minority of people who choose not to pay. It's easy to buy a ticket - either at the stop or from over 200 PayPoint outlets across Greater Manchester. The new £100 standard fare sends out a strong message to passengers - buy a ticket or face the consequences."
All the money from fares and penalties goes back into running and maintaining the system. Metrolink inspectors, who patrol seven days a week, will be responsible for issuing the new, higher fines.
The number of inspectors was increased from 36 to 48 when Stagecoach took over the running of the system two years ago. Anyone who has not paid the £100 penalty within 21 days will face prosecution.
Two-hundred new Metrolink ticket machines will be installed by October 2011.
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
NWmancCUB (22/04/2009 at 09:14)
reppick, salford (22/04/2009 at 09:16)
Did they have tickets I doubt it. Would three strikes and a £100 fine bother them I doubt that. Prosecution ? is someone having a laugh.
I was driving down Eccles New Road a few weeks ago and saw about 6 tram employees in bright yellow jackets waiting to board a tram - sunday afternoon.
I did e mail the customer services after one horrendous journey but they did not even acknowledge my complaint/concern.
The stinking kipper, pinned under the table (22/04/2009 at 09:33)
I've used tram systems all over the world and our ranks - bottom!
Jay B, oldham (22/04/2009 at 09:57)
maybe then more money would actually be collected and we might get better services.
Not a Number, just down the road (22/04/2009 at 10:12)
JTC Formerley JimC (22/04/2009 at 10:17)
John- still Sheikhin' all over (22/04/2009 at 10:30)
even without the fare dodgers the honest people will still be using the bus or their cars, because of the expensive cost of a ticket.
never mind the problems of the upgrading in the City centre.
but the good news is, I'll be able to put my feet up on the tram seat ;-)
[ that's a joke]
RT, UK (22/04/2009 at 11:12)
Lets face it there, the hard core of non ticket buyers are not going to pay any fines either. False names and addresses roll off their tongues like the truth if the non speaking English card is not used.
Tram travel can be very unpleasant for many reasons. The main being unsocial behaviour. Ticket inspection strategy is poor but no doubt those in charge have convinced themselves that it is effective.
Stacey Harriet (22/04/2009 at 11:13)
umpire 2, Salford M7 4HT (22/04/2009 at 11:17)
They have checked them whilst I have been on, some of their staff should not be allowed to do anything but what gets me, is at the moment why do they need staff at St Peters Square plus 2 security guards who do not speak any English at all.
Stacey Harriet (22/04/2009 at 11:18)
Increasingly Frustrated, Salford (22/04/2009 at 11:26)
I get the tram every day on the Eccles line and the inspectors are usually checking tickets at peak times, holding up the service. In my opinion, there should be more of them at the weekends, when people are more likely to jump on without paying. Unfortunately, you get a lot of anti-social people, even with tickets. I have found customer services to be quite helpful when I've had dealings with them.
Jay B, maybe the reason you don't see people buying tickets is because, like me, they have a season ticket which they buy from the GMPTE Travel Shop.
uwerosler10 (22/04/2009 at 11:29)
nyb, ex manc (22/04/2009 at 11:36)
Do they still have conductors? ;~)
Baron Greenback (22/04/2009 at 11:41)
I despair at the British education system sometimes. This is basic.
Kris-Kross, Ashton Under Lyne (22/04/2009 at 11:57)
At home I made enquires about the legality of an unsinged ticket and found they could not enforce it upon me but within a few days the demand came. I wrote back to Metrolink explaining the legal position. They wrote back telling me the form WAS SINGED!!
The tram inspector committed fraud!! I wrote back saying you can check cctv, fingerprints and my DNA...I never once touched the form....wow.....they changed their tune!!
Suddenly they stopped contacting me and I could not reach ANYONE WHATSOEVER on the phone or get any response to my letters!
It's okay to pick on people who try to pay for tickets or even those who don't try to pay but when one of their own employees are found to be a criminal....THEY CLOSE RANKS!!!
People Metrolink cannot enforce a tram ticket upon you if you do not sign the form.....as long as you cooperate with everything else you'll be fine!
Jomov (22/04/2009 at 12:15)
Barney Gumball LLB Hons (22/04/2009 at 12:36)
Guten Tag, Stress Strabe, Manchester (22/04/2009 at 13:12)
Garsinho, Manchester (22/04/2009 at 13:27)
FrostySnowman (22/04/2009 at 13:32)
The system must be losing millions per yer in fare dodging.
Barney Gumball LLB Hons (22/04/2009 at 13:54)
Barney Gumball LLB Hons (22/04/2009 at 14:01)
Jay B, oldham (22/04/2009 at 14:20)
i can also see how bad public transport is getting even though the number of users is increasing, the capacity isnt.
i also see where congestion is fabricated by or usless councils!
surely lots of traffic stuck in bottlenecks because of bus lanes and traffic calming measures is actually worse for the enviroment with longer journeys causing more pollution?
so not blind at all! unlike some who seem to have blinkers on and can only see what they want to see!
Barney Gumball LLB Hons (22/04/2009 at 15:35)