According to a survey, 35 per cent of British adults (13 million) admit to having travelled on a train or the underground without a valid ticket at least once.
The cost in penalty fares for these journeys would equate to at least £130m.
What they say
The manned security business of Group 4 Securicor, which commissioned the research, believes the findings highlight the daily problems faced by UK rail operators. The research indicated that penalty fares would have to increase significantly if they were to deter the public from travelling without a valid ticket. The greatest proportion (67 per cent) said the fine should be over £50 on top of the cost of the ticket to deter fare dodging.
Douglas Greenwell, Marketing Director of Group 4 Securicor’s manned security business said: "These figures are a major concern for UK rail operators. Our research indicates that significant revenues are being lost by passengers using the rail network without purchasing a valid ticket. Rail companies need to take proactive steps to ensure that revenues are protected and deter the public travelling without valid tickets." Some 29 per cent of those surveyed said uniformed individuals on the train and at the platform would be the most effective deterrent to travelling on a train or the underground without a valid ticket. Only one per cent of respondents said that CCTV at stations and on the platform would deter them from travelling on the train or underground without a valid ticket. Visit www.group4.co.uk or
