Train firms must stop criminalising 'innocent errors', report finds
The ORR inquiry looked in to how the rail industry handles fare evasion after passengers were being prosecuted over small amounts of money.The ORR cited one case, which was eventually dropped when a local politician looked into the issues, where a passenger was threatened with court action for accidentally choosing a 16-25 railcard discount when they held a 26-30 railcard. Both give the same discount.The report also found passengers who had forgotten their railcard were often penalised, though it said it was difficult for rail staff to determine genuine mistakes from those who chose to deliberately underpay.Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said "ham-fisted prosecutions" were punishing innocent passengers.He added that the government planned on tackling fare-dodging by simplifying ticketing and developing plans for a state-owned rail operator, Great British Railway.Sam said his "tiny" mistake "would translate to a prosecution, potentially, or hundreds [of pounds] in fines, so I could have ended up with a criminal record".He describes the way he was caught out as "slightly convoluted", adding "we can't expect a regular commuter to be aware of something that niche on a regular basis".
Fare evasion 'challenging to tackle'
ORR strategy director Stephanie Tobyn said the legal framework and enforcement of ticketing is "increasingly complex and appears weighted towards industry, leaving some passengers who make innocent errors vulnerable to disproportionate outcomes".However, she added that "fare evasion remains a significant problem, and rigorous action should be taken against those who intentionally seek to defraud the railway".The inquiry said evading fares was becoming a normal thing to do "among certain passenger groups" and that it is becoming "increasingly more challenging to tackle".Robert Nisbet, spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the rail industry said fare evasion takes money aware from the rail system which could otherwise be invested in improvements.He added: "We could be better, as an industry, we could be clearer, we could be more consistent across the country. "We don't always get it right, we acknowledge that, we have to be better".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Actor Noel Clarke set to learn outcome of libel claim
Actor Noel Clarke is set to discover whether he has been successful in his High Court libel claim against the publisher of the Guardian on Friday. Clarke, 49, is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over seven articles and a podcast, including an article in April 2021 that said 20 women who knew him professionally had come forward with allegations of misconduct. Clarke denies the allegations, while GNM is defending its reporting as being both true and in the public interest. A trial earlier this year heard from multiple witnesses who made accusations against Clarke, including that he had allegedly shared nude photographs of them without their consent, groped them, and asked them to look at him when he was exposed. Barristers for Clarke told the court that there is a conspiracy of people with financial and personal grudges against him who engineered his downfall because they could not bear to see him receive a Bafta award. Mrs Justice Steyn is set to hand down her ruling at 10.30am on Friday. The trial of the libel claim was held from early March to early April at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Clarke, who has previously appeared in TV shows including Doctor Who, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Bulletproof, gave evidence over several days. At one stage, he appeared visibly emotional as he claimed the publisher had 'smashed my life'. He said: 'They have smashed my life for four years with this rubbish, this nonsense. Four years.' He continued: 'I did not do this, I would not do this. I have got children. This is not true.' He later said that while he was 'a flawed guy', he added: 'The reason I stand here four years later is I am not what they have branded me.' Philip Williams, representing the actor, said that his client was a 'casualty' of a media 'purge' following the emergence of the MeToo movement. He continued that Clarke was made a 'scapegoat' and was an 'easy target' because he was at the height of his success when the media industry 'zealously sought to correct itself'. The barrister also criticised the Guardian's investigation, saying the newspaper 'manifestly failed to do its job properly'.Mr Williams asked the court to find the claim successful, saying the Guardian's reporting has caused serious harm to Clarke's career, with 'continuing hostile reactions online and in public discourse'. Gavin Millar KC, for GNM, said there is 'not a shred of evidence' to support Clarke's claim of a conspiracy, describing it as 'nonsensical and rather desperate speculation'. He said Clarke has a 'very clear motive to lie' because he 'stands to lose a great deal'. In written submissions, Mr Millar said Clarke 'used his power to prey on and harass female colleagues' over a period of 15 years. He said: 'This was a careful and thorough investigation conducted conscientiously by Guardian journalists who were aware of the potential pitfalls. 'They received information from a wide range of sources with direct evidence of misconduct and in each case carefully considered and tested the information they were given, electing to publish only such information as they believed was credible.'
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Man, 26, charged with murder after ice cream seller stabbed to death
A man has been charged with murder after an ice cream seller was stabbed to death in north-west London. Shazad Khan, 41, was pronounced dead at the scene after officers responded to reports of an altercation in Monks Park in Wembley at 6.10pm on Tuesday. Zaher Zaarour, 26, of Brent in north-west London, has been charged with murder and possession of a bladed article, the Metropolitan Police announced on Thursday. He is due to appear at Willesden Magistrates' Court on Friday. A 31-year-old woman was arrested at the scene on suspicion of conspiracy to murder – but has been bailed pending further inquiries, the force said. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Waller said: 'I would like to thank the community for their help and support during this investigation. 'Residents can expect to see an increase of officers in the local area over the next coming days as the investigation continues.' Local residents said that Mr Khan was well known in the area for selling ice creams in a van. Asim Mahmood Butt, 39, who lives in nearby Tokyngton Avenue, said he was childhood friends with the victim. Speaking at the scene on Wednesday, he said: 'I got a call from one of my cousins. 'This guy, we know him – he's a famous ice cream guy. He got stabbed yesterday. 'I came here and his body was still here, and police had cordoned off the area. 'I know his brothers as well – they're all local. We all used to play cricket and football here in Monks Park. 'He started (selling) ice cream about a year ago.' Mr Butt said Mr Khan was married and had a young daughter. The ice cream van, which had been parked on the road at the time of the incident, was well known locally for having a large teddy bear, the witness added.
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
DWP launches independent review into Post Office staff prosecutions
The Department for Work and Pensions is launching an independent review into its handling of prosecutions against Post Office staff. There were around 100 prosecutions by the DWP between 2001 and 2006, during the Horizon IT scandal. The decision to review the work on the cases comes after it was revealed the Post Office investigation team shared information with the DWP. The investigation will look at the period of time covered by the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024, from 1996 to 2018. This was the legislation that effectively gave a blanket exoneration to Post Office staff convicted in that time, but it did not include DWP-related convictions. It was uncovered that the DWP and Post Office had conducted joint investigations during the scandal by Sky News last May. Responding to the findings at the time, lawyer and then-chair of the Justice Select Committee, Sir Robert Neill KC said the DWP convictions need to be 'looked at'. "I think that's the area they need to look at if we are saying their approach was tainted from the beginning - in the way the investigators adopted things - then joint operations I suspect would be just as tainted arguably as something where it has been the Post Office on its own." A DWP spokesperson said: 'We have committed to commissioning an independent assurance review where Post Office members of staff were prosecuted by the Department for welfare-related fraud. 'These cases involved complex investigations and were backed by evidence including filmed surveillance, stolen benefit books and witness statements – to date, no documentation has been identified showing that Horizon data was essential to these prosecutions.' Lawyer Neil Hudgell, who represented several victims of the Post Office scandal, said the review was 'wholly inadequate', adding that the DWP "should not be marking its own homework.' "Any involvement in the process of appointing reviewers undermines all confidence in the independence of the process," he said. The Horizon IT scandal saw approximately 1,000 individuals wrongfully prosecuted and convicted. Around £1 billion has been paid to victims so far according to the Department for Business and Trade, after a legal act which came into effect on 25 January 2024 authorised automatic compensation. The inquiry into the scandal is still ongoing, having published the first volume of its final report in July.
