Midland Metro is to introduce a regime of ticket inspections, with passengers not holding a valid ticket being issued a penalty fare notice (PFN), according to a report to the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) board. The WMCA, which runs trams and buses in the region, proposes to increase Midland Metro Penalty Fare amount from ยฃ10 to ยฃ100 โ which would be ยฃ50 if paid within 14 days.
The coming in of a Buy Before You Board (BBYB), which has been discussed for some years, scheme provides a natural transition point to introducing a new penalty fares regime, according to a report to the WMCA board. As customers have had the option to buy Metro tickets on board, BBYB will mean an โoff-board ticketing approachโ, the report stated. The change will mean a โsoft launchโ over several months, the report added.
The ยฃ10 penalty fare is considered to present an increased risk of fare evasion, the report said, when โbuy before you boardโ comes in. Robust measures to secure revenue protection are described as โfundamental to this endeavour and to act as a deterrent to potential fare evadersโ.
For more on fraud prevention by Transport for London (TfL) on the London Underground visit the London mayoral website.
On Tyneside, meanwhile, the light rail operator Nexus is again due to run Operation Coastwatch for tackling disorder and anti-social behaviour at the popular North Tyneside coast. Erika Allen, Quality, Health, Safety, Security and Environment Director at Nexus, said: โMetro is a major gateway into the North Tyneside coastline over the summer months, and we want people to come and enjoy it, but we donโt want a minority of troublemakers to spoil it for everyone else.
โWeโre working closely with the police and our local authority partners again this year through Operation Coastwatch. Metro is a safe system and we are determined to keep it that way.
โThese operations are proving successful in dealing with any issue that arise, including anti-social behaviour and fare evasion.
โThis builds on the work we have already done to improve safety and security on the transport network, including the roll out of our dedicated security teams, investment in new CCTV, and the launch of our new text message alert system to allow customers to contact the Metro control room more easily.โ
Photo by Mark Rowe: Midland Metro tram at Birmingham Snow Hill for Wolverhampton.
