Don’t persecute honest passengers, prosecute fare-dodgers is the message from the Opposition Spokesperson on Transport for Greater Manchester Committee.
Investigations from the Lib Dem team of councillors here in Bury revealed that an estimated one in eight Metrolink passengers are fare-dodgers with T4GM confirming that they estimate that 12% of journeys are not paid for.
Last year the nine Labour and one Conservative council Leaders who make up the Greater Manchester Comined Authority voted to to put up fares for honest Metrolink passengers by an inflation-busting 19% by 2020 when one in eight passengers travel free.
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Transport for Greater Manchester Councillor Howard Sykes said: “There are 40 million tram journeys a year so fare-dodging is estimated to cost Metrolink about £9 million in lost revenue a year. Rather than hammering the honest passenger, transport bosses need to focus on tackling fare evasion. 12% non-payment is a disgrace. Everyone should pay their ‘fare share’, so we say tackle the fare-dodgers. We need more enforcement officers on the line at more times and we need to ruthlessly prosecute non-payers.”
Liberal Democrats in Bury have previously called for an automatic ticket “barrier” system, perhaps at all but the city centre stops, which is used on most urban public transport systems to reduce fare evasion.
When you see the “inspectors” on the Metrolink they run in packs of 6 or more. To curb fare dodgers why not put these “inspectors” to some good use and put conductors on every tram, like the do in Sheffield, and I am sure the fare dodgers will be less
It should be more like the London Underground where you can’t get through the station barriers without a ticket. The cost of manning stations would be covered by the reduction in fare-dodging based on their claims.
It is unfair to punish honest paying tram passengers by increasing fares. The answer surely lies in more checks by inspectors during tram journeys to ensure everyone has paid or has an appropriate travel pass
Shocked to read here of the extent of fare dodging. Universal minimum income is seriously being floated nowadays. e.g. The Finnish experiment. Instead, why not concentrate resources on helping the less well off by making Metro trams service free to all and sundry thus saving the cost of ticket inspectors, maintenance and installation of the collecting machines etc. Already pensioners get a free service. More radical thinking is required from Lib Dems on this issue.