Train operating company, Greater Anglia, has announced that ticket dodgers on their services ended up being over £87,000 out of pocket after they were caught by ticket inspectors in Essex and Suffolk.
Th2 284 evaders were taken to court between Monday 22nd January and Monday 5th February 2918 after they were caught travelling on a train with no money or cards on them to pay for their tickets.
Basildon Magistrates' Court heard 144 cases, on Monday 22nd January 2018, and imposed fines of £22,715 and costs of £21,600.
The next day, 36 cases were taken to Ipswich Magistrates' Court, where magistrates imposed fines of £6,995 and costs of £3,600.
On Monday 5 February, a further 92 cases were heard by Basildon Magistrates' Court, resulting in fines of £15,920 and costs of £11,770. Meanwhile, Ipswich Magistrates' Court dealt with 12 cases and imposed fines of £3,640 and £1,200 costs.
Offenders who appeared before the Basildon Magistrates had been caught without a ticket, or means to pay for one, on Greater Anglia trains on the Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street line.
Appearing before Ipswich Magistrates, these offenders had been caught trying to make journeys on Greater Anglia trains between Ipswich, Manningtree, Harwich, Colchester, Clacton and London Liverpool Street
Revenue Protection Inspectors, or RPIs, can choose eith to issue penalty fares, if, for example, they are travelling with the wrong ticket such as an Oyster card beyond Shenfield or are in First Class with a standard ticket, they can also choose to start prosecution proceedings if the passenger has boarded the train with no intention of paying.
The TOC (train operating company) issues between 4,000 and 6,000 penalty fares a month and prosecutes between 500 and 700 people a month.
What did the officials say?
Andrew Goodrum, Greater Anglia Customer Service Director, said: “Money from tickets is invested in the railway. People refusing to pay for tickets could result in ticket prices going up for everyone.
“Our ticket inspectors regularly patrol our trains, some in uniform and some in plain clothes. At the end of the day, it's much cheaper to buy a ticket than to end up in court with a fine and order to pay costs.”
- Visit the Greater Anglia website
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